This year Spain will enjoy increased popularity among tourists. An exotic vacation with an admixture of extraordinary entertainment, attractive souvenirs and gifts for relatives who stayed at home - all this promises to make a vacation charming and temperamental, like Spanish dances!
In addition to compiling a cultural and entertainment program, many tourists set themselves the goal of bringing from this country a lot of unusual and valuable souvenirs, gifts, talismans. Looking ahead, it is worth noting an impressive assortment of such products, which can be purchased not only in large markets and in specialized stores, but also simply from street vendors. Let's consider the most popular and demanded gifts and souvenirs among the guests of Spain!
Edible goods
It is difficult to resist and not try a lot of traditional Spanish dishes, the recipes of which have been passed down from generation to generation for many centuries. But if you cannot deliver ready-made meals to your home, then it will not be difficult to purchase local delicacies in order to “savor” them at home with your family.
It just so happened that tourists are actively interested in and buying up a local delicacy called "jamon". It is an ordinary pork leg, which is cooked using a special raw drying technology. Some merchants will be happy to share the recipe for this delicious dish. So, the traditional method of cooking ham consists of several stages. First, the meat is soaked in a saline solution for three weeks. After that, the ham is left hanging in a cool and dark place for several months. But the main secret of the rich taste of the ham is the use of pig meat, which is fed according to a special menu.
There are several types of jamon, which differ in cooking duration and flavor. So, most often you can find the following varieties of meat delicacy on the shelves of Spanish markets: curado (it will take 7-9 months to prepare), bodega (it takes a couple of months longer), and also reserva (this product can be brought to a ready state for a year and a half! ).
Anyone can buy a Spanish delicacy in any grocery store or market. But be prepared for serious financial waste, because the cost of the ham is considerable (because of the weight, because the pork leg is not divided into pieces by sellers). So it's easier to buy a delicacy for a large company.
Tip: in order to bring your ham home safe and sound, we advise you to give preference to products in vacuum packaging, which will ensure a longer shelf life of a tasty purchase.
Hard varieties of Spanish cheese will be no less tasty. It is noteworthy that each region of this European country is famous for its unique varieties of this dairy product. But for several decades the “palm” in popularity and taste has been invariably held by the cheese product made from sheep milk “Manchego”.
Olive groves also grow throughout the country. Since the climatic and geographical conditions for growing olives here are more than favorable, we can safely say that Spanish olive oil is in no way inferior in quality to Italian and Greek. Therefore, one or two bottles (or maybe even more) of this wonderful oil can be considered as a souvenir.
You should also understand that in Spain there are different varieties of olives, which make it possible to extract different varieties of oil. The most common is the Arbequina variety, from the soft berries of which growers get a delicate oil with a pleasant mild taste.
Advice. When buying oil, pay attention not only to the area of production, but also to the method of preparation of the olive product. So, the best is considered to be cold first pressed oil, on which we recommend you to opt for. But if you are a seasoned consumer, there are other known varieties of oil to consider. Well, you shouldn't make such purchases in the first days of your vacation. After all, you can buy several bottles of olive oil in the DutyFree zone when boarding a plane.
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Spanish wine products
Spain is another country with a rich winemaking tradition. Its entire territory is dotted with vineyards, and the best varieties of wine, undoubtedly, become a worthy lot at European auctions. That is why we recommend that you take advantage of this unique opportunity and purchase a bottle - another first-class varietal drink made from grapes. Such a gift will not only be able to decorate any festive table, but will also take its rightful place in any private collection.
As for the choice of the wine variety itself, it is sometimes very difficult to resolve this issue. We advise you to take a closer look at the Sherry drink, which is produced from white grape varieties and which is distinguished by its unique fortified taste. Andalusia is considered the birthplace of this drink. The world famous brandy is also produced there.
Today, the cost of these drinks is in the tens of euros. So, for "Torres" with aging up to ten years they will ask for 12-15 euros, and for a similar aging "Gran Duque" you will have to pay at least 25-30 euros per bottle. And do not think that in hypermarkets the price of drinks is overpriced.
By the way, if you are passing through Jerez, do not deny yourself the pleasure of trying a bunch of Pedro Himenes grapes, which is distinguished by its rich and unique taste!
There is also champagne in Spain. Most often, the choice of tourists stops at a bottle of sparkling drink "Kava". We advise you to try this drink in Barcelona. Well, do not forget about another type of alcohol - Sangria, which is bottled in beautiful bottles of different sizes, and is also sold in cardboard bags familiar to many of our compatriots.
Delights and spices
Have you ever tasted a Spanish sweet called Turron? We bet not! But its analogue - halva - is known to everyone. The Spaniards make several varieties of this sweet, which differ in composition and hardness. So, the hardest turron from Alicante can be a real test for your tooth enamel. It is made from whole almonds, filled with special sweet syrup and wrapped in rice paper.
Feel sorry for your teeth? Then we advise you to buy another kind of turron, which looks more like crumbly halva, but has its own flavor characteristics.
Don't miss the pastry shops of Spanish cities. After all, here you can taste the best varieties of homemade pastries, among which I would like to highlight the Ensaimada bun. It is made with various fillings and is able to satisfy the needs of any gourmet. So, buns with apricot, pumpkin, chocolate and cream fillings, fruit filling in the form of slices or a homogeneous mass are sold in confectioneries. But the special delight among the buyer should be caused by buns with "angel hair", which are made from candied pumpkin inner threads.
It is difficult not only to bring such a purchase to Russia, but also to keep it intact to the hotel room. The unique aroma and sweet taste will not leave anyone indifferent.
It is no secret to anyone that each country is unique in its spices. In Spain, the most popular spice is saffron. It should be noted that saffron is not only a traditional spice for Spain, but also one of the rarest and most expensive on our planet.This is due to the fact that the spice has a mass of trace elements and substances that have a positive effect on skin color, liver and cleanse the blood of harmful substances.
Souvenir products
Not a single tourist voyage is complete without buying souvenirs. Who does not want to replenish their collection of souvenirs with new samples from Spain. And the local range of souvenirs is really impressive. On the shelves you can see not only traditional magnets and figurines, but also carved figures of bulls, which seem to be about to rush into battle with the matador, flamenco dancers and many others. If you are a longtime fan of flamenco dancing, we recommend adding castanets to your collection of souvenirs.
Traders are ready to offer a good selection of fans. If earlier this element of the toilet was inherent only in Spanish and European women, then recently there has been a surge in demand for fans among Russian beauties. In Spain, you can buy fans of different shapes, made of paper and fabric, plastic and a special kind of wood. Of course, the cost of the product directly depends on the material that was used to make the fan, as well as on whether it was handmade. It is clear that the manual labor of the local craftsmen is highly valued. But such a gift will perfectly complement the image of a noble lady in the current weather conditions.
If you want to buy something to update your home interior, we advise you to stroll through the market aisles, where you can find a wide selection of blankets, carpets, laces (you should especially pay attention to products from Galicia), as well as colored glass products. There is a good selection of grapevine wicker baskets, other products and furniture items. But you should consider your capabilities and how easy it is to deliver all these purchases to Russia.
If you find yourself in Granada, pay attention to the boxes of local craftsmen. And in Valencia you can buy almost the best porcelain in the whole territory of Spain, products from it. In other regions of the country, there is also something to see and what to buy. It all depends on your personal preference and the size of your wallet.
Do not pass by genuine leather goods. A bag, wallet or stylish leather shoes from Spain will be the perfect addition to any male or female look. And do not skimp on such purchases, because the quality of Spanish leather goods is known far beyond its borders and they are incredibly popular. And the prices are good. After all, you only have to pay 30-35 euros for a pair of excellent shoes!
Interesting articles:
- Interesting facts about Spain
- 5 of the best beaches in Spain
- Spain for children
- Red river Rio Tinto in Spain
- Alhambra fortress in Spain
- Caves of Nerja, Spain
- Sculpture Kiss of Death, Spain
Weapon
As a souvenir for a real man from Spain, we advise you to bring a weapon. Numerous daggers and blades can be inlaid with silver and gold, crowned with precious and semi-precious stones. Of course, the cost of such a work of art (especially when it comes to manual work) is significant. And the risks that may arise when crossing the Spanish or Russian border should also be taken into account. But if you are confident in your abilities, then such a purchase will be an excellent addition to any private collection or office decoration.
As you can see, no one will return from Spain empty-handed!
