Reading a Spanish menu, dishes, cuts and cooking terms

Terms used

• Ración — A ración is a full plate of food, meant for sharing.
• Media ración — A media ración is half a ración.
• Tapa — A tapa is a small portion of food, often served with a drink.
• Menú del día — The menú del día is a fixed-price weekday lunch with set courses.
• Pintxo — A pintxo is a Basque snack served on bread or a skewer.

Key rules

• Portion size: A ración is a full plate to share, a media ración is half and a tapa is a small portion.
• Cooking terms: Read the cooking term first: plancha is griddled, brasa is charcoal-grilled and romana is battered and fried.
• Regional names: In Catalonia, Galicia and the Basque Country, menus may use local-language names that differ from standard Spanish.
• Unfamiliar dishes: Ask the waiter before ordering offal dishes such as callos.

Start with portion sizes

Check the size before you pick a dish. A ración is a full plate meant for sharing. A media ración is half of that. A tapa is a small portion, often one or two bites. In the Basque Country you will also see pincho or pintxo, a snack on bread or a skewer.

The menú del día is the fixed-price weekday lunch. The FAQ below explains when you can order it.

How it is cooked

The cooking term usually tells you more than the ingredient.

• A la plancha: grilled on a hot flat griddle.
• A la brasa: charcoal-grilled.
• Al horno: baked.
• Frito: fried.
• A la romana: battered and fried, most often squid rings.
• Al ajillo: cooked with garlic and oil.
• Guisado: stewed.
• Escabeche: preserved in a vinegar marinade.
• Cazuela: a casserole, cooked and served in a clay dish.

Dishes you will see everywhere

• Tortilla española: potato omelette.
• Croquetas: fried béchamel fritters.
• Albóndigas: meatballs.
• Pulpo a la gallega: octopus with paprika and oil.
• Pimientos de Padrón: small fried peppers.
• Jamón ibérico: cured ham.
• Revuelto: a scrambled egg dish, with a filling such as mushrooms or prawns.
• Salsa verde: garlic and parsley sauce.
• Callos: tripe stew.
• Rabo de toro: oxtail stew.

If a dish is made from offal, such as callos, ask the waiter before you order.

Regional-language names

In Catalonia, Galicia and the Basque Country, menus may use the local language. Spellings vary from place to place.

Catalan

• Pa amb tomàquet: bread with tomato.
• Escalivada: roast vegetables.
• Calçots: spring onions, grilled.
• Botifarra: sausage.
• Mongetes: beans.
• Cargols: snails.
• Crema catalana: custard dessert.
• Arròs: rice.
• Fideuà: a paella-style dish made with noodles.

Galician

• Pulpo á feira: octopus.
• Empanada: a savoury pie.
• Caldo galego: broth.
• Zorza: marinated pork.
• Lacón con grelos: pork shoulder with turnip tops.
• Xoubas: sardines.
• Orella: ear (pig's ear).
• Queixo: cheese.
• Viño: wine.

Basque

• Txuleta: steak.
• Bacalao al pil-pil: salt cod in an emulsified garlic and oil sauce.
• Marmitako: tuna stew.
• Txangurro: spider crab.
• Kokotxas: hake cheeks.
• Txakoli: a light white wine.
• Sagardoa: cider.
• Gazta: cheese.
• Ogi: bread.

Before you order

Ask the waiter what is in a dish if the name is unfamiliar. Ask how big a ración is, because sharing plates are often larger than newcomers expect.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between a tapa, a media ración and a ración?

A tapa is a small portion, a media ración is a half plate, and a ración is a full plate meant for sharing. If you are two or more people, a few raciones in the middle of the table usually work better than separate mains. A pincho or pintxo is different again: a snack served on bread or on a skewer.

What is the menú del día, and when can I order it?

The menú del día is a fixed-price lunch, usually served on weekdays. It normally gives you a choice of starter and main, plus dessert or coffee and a drink. Look for it on a board near the door.

Which dish names will look different in Catalonia, Galicia or the Basque Country?

Menus there often use the local language instead of Castilian Spanish. In Catalonia you may see pa amb tomàquet (bread with tomato), escalivada (roast vegetables) and botifarra (sausage). In Galicia look for pulpo á feira (octopus) and lacón con grelos (pork shoulder with turnip tops). In the Basque Country, txuleta is steak and kokotxas are hake cheeks.

What does a la plancha mean compared with a la brasa?

A la plancha means cooked on a hot flat griddle, while a la brasa means grilled over charcoal. Plancha suits fish, seafood and thin cuts. A la brasa gives a smokier taste, usually for meat.