Along the coast, as you'd expect, you'll find absolutely delicious - and super-fresh - fish and seafood. Move inland and you'll be delighted with the different meat and vegetable dishes on offer - without forgetting the incredible variety of different fruits available.



And the star of Spanish cooking is undoubtedly the tapa, the appetizer or tidbit that is offered along with your drink in a bar, or served as an entree for lunch or dinner.

In small towns and out in the country, you probably won't find a great selection of restaurants, but the cooking tends to be honest, and based on local fresh produce. In the larger cities you definitely will find a great variety of different eating places of all types, where you can find not only the best-known Spanish specialties, but also great international cooking.

There are two main meals of the day, lunch ("comida" or "almuerzo") and dinner ("cena"). Both are eaten considerably later than in Anglo-Saxon countries. Lunch is usually eaten between 2.00 and 3.30 in the afternoon, and dinner any time after 9.00 in the evening. Breakfast is a very light affair, and most people have a snack in the early evening, called a "merienda".

But perhaps the best-known Spanish dish outside Spain is the paella (which is, in fact, the name of the pan where the dish is cooked). Paella is a dish based on rice, colored and flavored with saffron, which can contain any mixture of meat, vegetables, fish or seafood. The "original" paella comes from Valencia and was made with rabbit, broad beans and other vegetables, but the best known types of paella now are often "mixed" paellas, containing different kinds of meat, fish and seafood.

Fresh vegetables such as artichokes, fresh herbs and wonderful rich tomatoes make up many of the dishes served in Spain. Often these fresh vegetables are combined with savory pastry dishes to make easy to eat finger foods served in the tapas bars.

Desserts are perhaps a little less varied, but can also be delicious. The most common dessert you'll find in a "normal" restaurant is a crme caramel, but many different regions will tempt you with their own special sweet. And after your dessert, don't forget your coffee and, as long as you're not driving, your chupito - a shot of spirit or liqueur.