14 Spanish dishes everyone should try

While Italy and France have spent years in the limelight, Spain was biding its time.

In recent years, however, people have come to celebrate the extraordinary flavors and variety of produce the cuisine has to offer.

High-profile chefs such as Ferran Adrià, mastermind of the now-closed El Bulli restaurant, and the Roca brothers, founders of the El Celler de Can Roca, have brought Spain’s alta cocina international acclaim. And in 2023, Spain had more restaurants on the World’s 50 Best list than any other country.

But the heart of Spanish cooking remains its rustic, homespun nature, a legacy of a time when hard-pressed Spaniards had to work the land for everything it would offer.

These 14 dishes – from seafood and meat to rice and pastries – are essential to sample when you travel to Spain.