Winning: when it comes to food, Spain is top of the class

Good food is integral to who the Spanish are

There are plenty of reasons why people admire the Germans,  respect the French, like the British, love the Irish and get a little peeved sometimes at Americans.

But Spaniards? They’re pretty harmless on the global scale of things, but relatively nondescript in the “Oh, they’re Spanish, NOW it makes sense” kind of way…Maybe people might label them lazy, or passionate, or daintily good footballers, but none of these labels really hold true. Now, though, it seems that the Huffington Post newspaper has hit upon a notion of Spaniards that may just stick: as a nation of food lovers…Sure, the French like to think their cuisine is the finest on the planet, and Italian restaurants are found on nearly every civilized high street in the world, but when you think about it – and the writers at Huffington Post evidently have – Spaniards absolutely adore food.

And with good reason, because they do it so well. From the simple pleasures of patatas bravas smothered in a spicy sauce, to the hours-long prep required to get a paella just right, Spanish cuisine covers all bases.

It is great as sustenance for a night out – tapas bar-hopping is a fantastic pastime that you really should try sometime soon; wonderful for when you’re hosting a family dinner – whip up a paella and partner with bread and wine and you’ve a feast for all seasons; perfect for romantic meals for two – is there anything sexier than a bubbling, shared pot of gambas pil pil washed down with sangria?; and breakfast is the stuff of absolute champions – churros dipped in hot chocolate, or the simple delights of pan con tomate drizzled in fresh olive oil.

The Spanish enjoy these iconic dishes as they’re meant to be experienced: at leisure, with friends, in a vibrant, social setting, and always make sure that they factor in enough time afterwards to either sleep or dance off the excess.

It’s a fine way of living (healthy, too), so if all this has made your mouth water and turned you green with envy, don’t delay – head on over to Spain today, where the weather’s warm, the people are welcoming and the food is divine!