If discovering the traditional tastes of the place is among your "must-do" experiences, Seville has all the chances to become one of your most memorable trips. Sevillian gastronomy is so rich and diverse that any person can find something to enjoy this fascinating culinary adventure.
Being one of the most beautiful cities in the world with a great cultural and historical heritage, Seville is also one of the greatest gastronomical capitals. So it is not surprising that food here gets centre stage.
When you are in Seville, you´ll see that people prefer to eat out. This fact perfectly reflects the city´s core values, such as the importance of socialization, enjoying your glass of beer in good company. So, the best way to fall in love with its gastronomy is going out and taking your place in some bar full of locals.
Regarding traditional Sevillian cuisine, it is important to know that Seville has a privileged location between mountains and the Atlantic’s cost. That´s why, Sevillian dishes represent an ideal fusion of vegetables, the freshest fish and high-quality meat. Moreover, don´t forget to try its local wines, as Seville can perfectly compete with the most famous Spanish regions like Rioja o Ribera del Duero.
Would you like to visit some traditional Sevillian bars and taste their typical dishes? In Sevilla Free Tours we will be happy to organise a special gastronomical tour for you. Contact us and ask for the details.
There are many traditional dishes that you can enjoy visiting Seville. However, the best way to live the experience is by trying these 5 typical Sevillian foods, so loved by the locals. Enjoy!
Everybody knows that a good breakfast is the best way to start your day. Although breakfast is not the most important meal in Seville, some foods deserve your attention.
Speaking about the most popular breakfast we can't forget about tostada (toast). It's something very typical in all the country, but every region has its preferences for bread and toppings. In Seville, you can see lots of bars that serve toasts with tomato or/and jamón.
The other typical Sevillian foods to start your day with are called churros. You may have already heard about this food as it's rather popular not only in Spain but also in different countries of Latin America. Churros in Seville are also known as calentitos (hot ones), as here it's more typical to eat them when they are recently prepared and very hot.
Churros are lines of dough fried in olive oil. The most popular types are fat ones called churros de rueda and small and ribbed ones called churros de papa. In Seville, they eat them with sugar or hot chocolate.
Seville is globally famous for its tapas culture, so you can´t leave the city without trying some of them.
The concept of tapa can be confusing, especially if you have already visited other Spanish regions. Very often people expect to find a piece of bread with different toppings, as in the central and in the northern parts of the country these entrants are called “tapas” o “pintxos”. However, tapa in Seville is not a kind of food, but portion size.
Tapa is the smallest portion you can find in Seville. There is plenty of traditional dishes that are served as tapas. The most recommended ones are solomillo al whisky (pork in whiskey), espinacas con garbanzos (spinach and chickpeas), rabo/cola de toro (bull´s tail), gazpacho (tomato soup) and ensaladilla rusa (Russian salad).
Being very influenced by the famous Mediterranean diet, the typical Sevillian foods surprise with a great number of traditional fried dishes, especially fried fish. Many bars and restaurants have this kind of food on their menu. For example, it is very typical to find fried calamares (squids) and boquerones (anchovies).
Another popular option (and the most original one) is cazón en adobo – sand shark in a Moorish marinade of cumin, oregano, vinegar and lemon. This dish has a surprisingly strong taste and smell, and the reason for this is rather simple: some centuries ago, to find fresh fish in the city, situated so far from the cost, was a real challenge. So, the easiest way to consume fish and seafood was frying it, using lots of vinegar to hide a bad taste and smell. Of course, today’s Sevillian cuisine does not use bad products, but the tradition to prepare fried fish with this strong marinade is still alive.
If you are not a big fan of fish and seafood, there is another essential fried dish, very loved by the Sevillian people. This dish is called croqueta (croquet), which is a type of dumpling made from meat, fish or vegetables with bechamel sauce, breaded and deep-fried.
The Sevillians spend most of their lives in bars, where the beer is the king, and the food just accompanies the drink. For this reason, fast and easy-to-prepare street food, like montaditos and serranitos is one of the pillars of the local cuisine.
Serranito is a kind of sandwich, made with a crusty homemade baguette, pork, serrano ham, tomato and some sauce. Sometimes it also can contain a grilled green pepper. What is more, in many places you can find different varieties of serranito, for example, a version with chicken.
Montadito is another type of Sevillian sandwich, that can contain lots of different ingredients. The most common ones are solomillo (pork), jamón (serrano ham) and tortilla de patata (potato omlette). There is another ingredient that is very typical for montadito in Seville. Many local bars offer montaditos de pringá – the meaty leftovers of puchero stew.
When we are speaking about traditional Sevillian sweets, we should remember both the times when the region was conquered by Muslims and the Catholic Holy Week. Andalusian cuisine inherited the way of crispy sweet treats elaboration, using honey, sugar syrups and cinnamon. This legacy was so deeply integrated into the society, that today’s traditional Holy week sweets, also known as dulces de convento (convent sweets) are all influenced by it.
If you want to try some traditional sweets, the most typical ones are torrijas, pestiños and yemas.
Seville is a magical city that charms you with its colours, ambient, tastes and smells. Don´t lose the opportunity to discover Seville with us – book your tour now and enjoy the city with our experts.
Article by: Sevilla Free Tours