Spotlight on Spain: Unsung food heroes

Spain produces some of Europe’s finest food, but many consumers struggle to think past paella. In 2018 alone, Spain exported food and drink products to the UK worth a total of £37 million, according to trade organisation Food and Wines from Spain. Consumers clearly have an appetite for Iberian flavours, but where to start if you’re looking to introduce Spanish foods to your offering, or expand an existing range?

Most customers simply aren’t aware of the breadth of Spanish products available, says Peter Kinsella of Spanish restaurant and deli group Lunya. “The biggest contribution to awareness actually comes from supermarkets but they only stock very ‘safe’ products such as Manchego cheese and chorizo. There’s so much more.” Oscar Blazquez of Spanish food importer Iberica agrees that while interest and awareness is on the rise, there’s still a lot of confusion around ingredients, “especially chorizo, serrano ham or olive oil. Some people think that any sausage with paprika is chorizo! That Serrano ham is the same as prosciutto! Or that all the olive oil comes from Italy!”
Blazquez argues that it’s best to begin with a range of basics including, “paella rice, high quality extra virgin olive oil, sherry vinegar, gordal and manzanilla olives, charcuterie and a selection of cheeses.” Spanish cheeses are numerous, ranging from cave-aged goats’ milk Garrotxa made in the Pyrenees, to the pungent Cabrales, a PDO-protected sheep and goats’ milk cheese from the craggy peaks of the Picos de Europas.

“Spain has got this wonderful artisan cheese industry which escaped all the attention that the French and the Italians got in the 70s,” says Kinsella. “They still have small cheesemakers who generally use their own animals, their own milk. There’s a fabulous cheese called Torta del Casar, which is a very soft scooping cheese that would give anyone incredible distinctiveness to their cheese range. Then there’s a fantastic goats’ milk cheese called Montenegro, which has twice won cheese of the year award. These ones you generally don’t see unless you go to a specialist or well informed cheese shop.”

“Tinned fish products are also seeing a huge amount of growth in the market,” says James Robinson, product trainer at Spanish food giant Brindisa. “The small ‘sardinillas’ from artisan producer La Brujula are excellent. They’re only fished during the high season in June to guarantee an exceptional catch and the delicate flavour of these meaty, extremely tasty little fish is locked in by gentle steaming. Preserved in light olive oil and salt, the fish actually improves in flavour over time. They’re also boneless, making them ready to eat right away, and they make a healthy lunch or picnic snack – simply pop open the tin and enjoy them on crusty bread with a drizzle of olive oil.”

“People become hooked on Spanish tinned fish,” agrees Kinsella, “and they won’t go back to that sour vinegary anchovy they get from Tesco, or the cheap tinned tuna. The Spanish eat bonito tuna which is a whole fillet of fish in a tin. Spanish tuna always has the most fantastically decorated tins, too, and the last thing you want to do is mix it with mayonnaise and put it on a sandwich.”

The quality of rice and pulses will also surprise people, argues Brindisa’s Robinson. “Illa de Riu produce some of the finest Rice money can buy. The third-generation family company grows exceptionally high quality rice in the delta of the Ebro river and they have channelled their resources into improving the seed stocks of the rices they cultivate, and hence are responsible for growing some of the best rice in Spain. The incredibly absorbent Bomba rice can take on up to three times its weight in liquid, making it perfect for paella and other Spanish rice dishes.” Jarred pulses such as chickpeas are a winner for Kinsella: “You immediately taste the difference against the standard African or Middle Eastern ones – they’re bigger and nuttier.” And using them doesn’t mean you have to cook a Spanish dish – blend them up and you have ‘the best hummus you’ll ever make.”

While artisanal ingredients can make fantastic store cupboard standbys for quick suppers, it’s the snacking market that has really boomed in the last couple of years, particularly crisps, “there are some brilliant flavours coming over which really give a distinctiveness to your range,” says Kinsella, “they’re flavours which don’t exist or even come into people’s heads in the UK, such as fried egg – it’s astonishingly uncanny, it tastes like the crispy edge of a fried egg – and black olive crisps which are made with dehydrated black olives. They tend to use very natural flavourings. It gives people something very distinctive.”

Simply putting products on the shelves may not be enough to engage consumers, however. Are there other ways to educate which may boost sales? “For us it’s making sure that we’re really informed about the provenance because people are really interested in the story behind great products,” Kinsella argues, “and small Spanish producers have got fantastic stories.” Blazquez agrees. “The majority of our products come from small, independent companies which makes the final product unique and very attractive to the customer who always looks for great quality, sustainability and who wants to support local, family owned businesses.” Iberica offers training on how to prepare samples of products that will catch the attention of customers and “Make them feel as if they’re in Spain.”

With awareness of Spanish products on the up, demand will increase, says Robinson, “Not so long ago the British public’s general perception of Spanish cuisine was largely associated with the kind of food that would be included on cheap package holidays. Since the mid 90s however, an awareness of more typical Spanish dishes and products has grown and with the advent of social media, the market is booming.”