Basque cuisine without a doubt is the finest in Spain. In fact, San Sebastian alone has more Michelin-starred restaurants per square kilometre than any other city in the world, besides Kyoto in Japan. Mainly influenced by the abundance of produce by the sea most dishes will include the likes of cod, sea bream, spider crab, baby eels and more. Basques also embrace dried beans, potato and capsicum in other typical dishes.

As Basque Country is wedged between the Pyrenees mountains and the Atlantic Ocean dishes differ from coastal cosine dominated by fish and seafood such as Txangurro (baked, stuffed spider crabs) to inland cuisine with fresh and cured meats, vegetables and freshwater fish such as Patatas a la riojana (potatoes flavoured with chorizo) is a typical meal in this northern region.

The cuisine in Catalonia has a delightful history receiving many influences that have made it rich and diverse – there is so much more to the cuisine than first meets the eye. With its location on the Mediterranean coast, ingredients are varied with a huge array of fish such as cod, sardine, anchovy and tuna and an abundance of fresh vegetables such as tomatoes, red peppers, aubergines and artichokes.

It is easy to forget that much of Catalonia is also made up of mountains where pigs and sheep roam freely. With this in mind, the inland cuisine is quite diverse and has more pork-intensive dishes.

Quite often the meat and seafood elements are fused together known as mar i muntanya – or what we know as surf ‘n turf.

Andalusian gastronomy is heavily influenced by the Arab cooking of Al-Andalus, basing its dishes on raw ingredients of the Mediterranean diet. The best known Andalusian dish, famed for its nutritional value as well as ease of preparation, is gazpacho, a tomato-based cold soup containing cucumber, pepper, garlic, oil and vinegar.

Much like Catalonia, Andalusia is a strong agricultural region and is deeply influenced by the land and sea – fish from the sea and the inland areas by legumes and meat. It really is a treasure trove of unique and appetising cuisine with some of the best-preserved food in the world.

Madrid is a melting pot of typical food from every region of the country. Madrid has wholeheartedly embraced dishes that are dominated by influences from around the country. With Madrid’s food scene constantly evolving it is still rooted in tradition and has its very own classic cuisine. Cocido madrileño is the traditional dish that hails from Madrid, a hearty meaty stew made with chickpeas, vegetables and meat and is usually eaten in two or three courses. You will also find Callos (beef tripe stew), sopa de ajo (garlic soup) and caracoles (snails) identified as local cuisine.