Melting Pot of the Old World

Spain has a long history of being a conquered and a conquering nation. Because of its very strategic geographic location, it has seen many rulers and many different types of cultures cross its pages of history. It was a “melting pot” for the rapidly changing winds of European and Mediterranean history at the same time.

The word “Spain” comes from the word that the Romans used to describe the Iberian Peninsula which is the land that Spain is situated upon. The Roman world reached to the peninsula and their influence can still be felt in the use of olive oil and wine in Spanish cooking.

Not long after the Roman empire fell, the Moors and Muslims swept across the Mediterranean taking land wherever they could. Spain came under their rule. All during the Middle Ages, unlike the rest of Europe, Spain remained under their influence and control. These conquerors brought with them spices and rice from the east as well as coffee.

It wasn’t until the 1400s that Spain came back under Christian rule and its long season of becoming a country of explorers started. As everyone has been taught in grade school, “in 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue”. And he did with the blessing of the King and Queen of Spain. This also began a flood of new foods coming in from the Americas, being enjoyed in Spain and spread to the rest of the known world. Spain also began to reacquaint itself with its European neighbors and was influenced by France and French cooking.

The Americas played a huge part in shaping Spanish cooking and foods. Foods that were brought over in the Columbian exchange such as potatoes, tomatoes, peppers and corn are still enjoyed in a large way in Spanish kitchens.