A – Z of Spanish Food and Restaurant Language A A la Romana - batter dipped & fried A la sal - Salted with sea salt A punto - medium well done (meats) Aceite de oliva - Olive oil Aceitunas - Olives Acelga – Swiss chard Achicoria – chicory Adobo – marinade Agua – water Agua del grifo – tap water Agua mineral – mineral water Agua mineral con gas – sparkling water Agua mineral sin gas – still water Aguacate - Avocado Ahumado - Smoked Ajillo – olive and garlic sauce Ajo - Garlic Ajoarriero – salted cod cooked in oil Al gusto - to your liking Al Horno - oven baked Al Pil-Pil - Green Parsley sauce Al punto - Medium Alas de pollo – chicken wings Albóndigas - meatballs Alcachofas - Artichokes Alcaparras – capers Almejas - Clams Almendra - almond Almíbar - Syrup Alubias - Beans Anchoa – anchovy (Antxoa in Basque) Anguila - Eel Angulas - Elvers, baby eels Añejo-aged Arándanos – cranberries Arenque – herring (smoked or in marinade) Arroz - Rice Arroz con leche - Rice pudding Asado - Roasted Asador – roasting house/tavern Atún - Tuna Atún blanco – fresh tuna Avellana – hazelnut Aves-poultry Azafrán - Saffron Azúcar – sugar B Bacalao – cod, usually salted and soaked in water before cooking. Bacalao al pil-pil – cod cooked in olive oil with Garlic and parsley sauce Bandeja - Tray Barra de pan – french baguette Bebidas – drinks Béchamel – white cream sauce Berberechos – Cockles Berenjena - Eggplant, aubergine Berza - cabbage Besugo - sea bream
Bien hecho - well done Bistec – beef steak Blanco y negro - coffee with ice cream Bocadillo - baguette sandwich Bogavante - Lobster Bollo – sweet pastry roll usually served for breakfast Bombones – sweets, chocolates Bonito - Yellow Fin Tuna Boquerones - Raw marinated anchovies Botella - Bottle Brasa (a la) - Barbecued, charcoalgrilled Brocheta – skewer of grilled meat or seafood Brocoli – broccoli Buey – beef C Caballa – mackerel Caballo – Horsemeat Cabeza – head Cabrito - Kid goat Cacahuete – peanut Café a la crema – Half coffee/ half cream Café Americano – large black coffee Café con leche – Half coffee/ half milk Café solo – short black coffee / espresso Calabacines - Courgette, Zucchini Calamar – squid Calamares - Squid Caldereta – stew Caldo or caldico – broth (clear soup) Caliente / Frío - hot / cold Calimocho – Red wine mixed with cola Callos - Tripe Camarero - Waiter Camarones – Shrimp Canela - Cinnamon Cangrejo - Crab, crayfish Canutillos – light pastry cone filled with cream Capón – capon, chicken Carajillo - coffee with brandy Caramelos – candies Cardo – cardoon (larger version of celery) Carne – meat Carne picada – minced meat Casero - home made Castaño – chestnut Cava – champagne-like drink from catalunya Cebolla - Onion Cebolleta – chive Cenicero - Ashtray Centollo - Spidercrab Cerdo - Pork Cereales – cereals Cerezas - Cherries Cerveza – bottled beer Chacina – pork sausages Champiñon - Mushroom Changurro or txangurro - spider crab Chinchón – anis based liquor Chipirones – squid
Chipirónes en su tinta - Squid in its own ink sauce Chistorra – Chorizo-type sausage Chocolate - Chocolate Chorizo – spicy Spanish sausage Choto - baby goat Chuleta – veal chop, normally grilled Chuletilla – small rib chops, typically from lamb Chuletón – large T-bone steak Chupito – generic term for small after dinner liqueur Churrasco – grilled ribs, beef or pork or a place where they grill. Churrería – churros shop Churros – fried strings of dough popular for breakfast, usually served sugared and dipped in chocolate Ciervo - Deer Ciervo – venison Cigala - Dublin bay prawn Cigarillos - Cigarettes Ciruela – plum Clarete – rosé wine (also rosado) Cochinillo - Suckling pig Cocido – Cooked or boiled or stewed Cocinero - Chef Codorniz - Quail Cogollo - lettuce hearts Coliflor – cauliflower Comedor – dining room Conejo - Rabbit Consomé / Caldo - Consommé or broth Copa (de vino) – glass of wine Copa de helado - glass of ice cream Copa, vaso - Glass Coquinas - baby clams Cordero - Lamb Cortado - espresso coffee with a dash of milk Crema catalana - Créme caramel Criadillas – typically bull testicles (sweet breads) Croquetas - Croquettes Croquetas de jamón-ham croquettes Crudo - Raw Cuajada - Curd (similar to natural yogurt) Cubata - mixed drink (rum & coke, gin & lemon, etc) Cuchara - Spoon Cucharilla – teaspoon Cuchillo - Knife Cucuruchos – ice cream cones Cuenta - Bill Curado – Cured
Ensalada - Salad Ensalada de tomate – tomato salad Ensalada mixta – mixed salad with lettuce, boiled eggs, tuna, olives, tomatoes, onions. Ensalada verde – green lettuce Ensaladilla rusa – Russian salad Entrecot - Fillet steak Entremeses – Hors d’oeuvre, hot or cold Escabeche – marinade, pickled with oil Escabeche - Pickle Escalfado – poached Escalope – fillet of steak covered with breadcrumbs Escarola – endive Espárragos - Asparagus Espárragos – asparagus, green or white Espinacas - Spinach Esqueixada – cold cod salad served in Catalunya F Fabada – Asturian stew with beans and chorizo Fabes con almejas – Asturain stew with beans and clams Factura - Invoice Faisán - pheasant Faves/ Fabes – large fava beans Filete - Fillet steak Fino - pale, dry sherry Flan - Caramel custard Foie gras – goose liver paté Frambuesa – raspberry Fresas - Strawberries Fresco - Fresh Frito - Fried Fruta - Fruit Fruto seco – nuts & dried fruits Fuego – fire or flame Fuet – cured sausage of Catalunya G
Descafeinado – decaffeinated coffee, made with hot milk Dorada – sea bream baked encased in salt
Galletas – biscuits or crackers Gallina – hen Gallo – popular white fish Gambas - Shrimps Garbanzos - Chickpeas Gaseosa – fizzy lemonade like 7-UP Gazpacho - Vegetable soup served cold Girasol – sunflower Gratinado - Brilled, gratin Grelo – turnip tops/greens Guindilla – Slim green pepper. Milder than chilli. Guisantes – peas
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Empanada de atún - tuna in pastry Empanada de Bacalao – cod in pastry Empanada de carne – meat in pastry Empanadilla – pastry Encebollado – dish prepared with fried onion Endivias - Endive Lettuce
Habas - Broad beans Hamburguesa – hamburger Harina – flour Heladería – ice cream parlor Helado – ice cream Hielo – Ice Hierbas – herbs
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Hígado - Liver Higo – fig Hojaldre - Puff pastry Horno - Oven Hortalizas – vegetables Huevas – fish eggs, roe Huevos - Eggs Huevos cocidos – boiled eggs Huevos con jamón – ham & eggs Huevos Revueltos or revoltillo – scrambled eggs J Jabalí – wild boar Jamón - Ham Jamón ibérico – the best (priciest) cured ham Jamón Serrano – cured ham Jamón york – boiled ham Jatetxea – Restaurant (in Basque language) Jerez - sherry Judías - Green beans Judiones - broad, white beans Jugo – gravy K Kalimotxo – Red wine mixed with cola Kokotxas – hake cheeks or barbels (a Basque delicacy) L La carta - Menu Langosta - Lobster Langostinos - Large prawns Leche - Milk Leche frita – Fried custard with hard crust Lechecillas de Ternera - calf’s sweetbreads Lechuga - Lettuce Lengua - Tongue Lenguado - Sole Lentejas - Lentils Liebre - hare Limonada - lemonade Lomo - Pork Lubina - Sea bass
Medallón – beef medallions Medio - half Mejillones - Mussles Melocotón - Peach Melón - Melon Membrillo - Quince jelly (usually with cheese) Menestra - Boiled vegetables with olive oil & fried garlic. Menta - Mint Menú degustación - chef’s special “fixed price” tasting menu Menú del día - fixed price lunch usually with 3 courses (starter, main & dessert), wine and bread. Merengue – meringue (egg whites and sugar) Merluza - Hake Merluza a la sidra – hake w/garlic & parsley in cider Merluza a la vizcaína – hake in oil w/ garlic & asparagus Mermelada – jam or jelly or marmalade Mero - Grouper Mesa - Table Mesón - simple, local restaurant or tavern Miel – honey Migas de pan – breadcrumbs Mora - blackberry Morcilla - Black pudding Morros - Snout Moscatel – sweet wine Mostaza – mustard Mosto - grape juice Muslo - drumstick Muy hecha - Well done N Nabo - turnip Napolitana – chocolate croissant (pan au chocolat) Naranja - Orange Nata - Cream Natillas - Custard Navajas - Razor-shell Nécoras - Small crabs Níscalos - wild mushrooms Nueces - Walnuts O
M Macedonia – fruit salad Magdalena – small cake/ bun Magret de pato – duck breasts Mandarina – mandarin orange Manitas – Trotters (usually piglet or lamb) Mantecada – square sponge cake Mantel - Tablecloth Mantequilla - Butter Manzana - Apple Manzanilla - Camomile Margarina - margarine Marinado - Marinated Marisco – shellfish, seafood Marmitako – tuna stew with potatoes and greens Mayonesa - Mayonaise
Oca - goose Olla - stew Oporto - port wine Orégano - Oregano Oreja de cerdo - pig’s ear Orujo - potent liqueur made of grape skins often flavoured with herbs (hierbas) Ostras - Oysters Oveja - sheep, ewe P Paella – rice dish from Valencia Palillos - Toothpicks Palmeras – Elephant ear shaped pastry
Paloma – pigeon Palomitas de maíz – popcorn Pan - Bread Pan tostado – toast Panceta – bacon, often smoked Panecillos – small loaves or rolls Parrilla (a la) - Grilled Pastel – cake Pastel Vasco – dry sweet cake from the Basque country Patata - Potatoes Patatas bravas – spicy, fried potato cubes Patatas fritas – French-fries Pato - Duck Patxarán – liquor made from anis and sloe berries, a specialty of Navarra & Basque Country Pavo - Turkey Pechuga de pollo – chicken breast Peras - Pears Percebes - Barnacles Perdiz - Partridge Perejil - Parsley Pernil - pork shoulder Pescadilla – small fried fish (whiting) Pescado – fish Pez espada – swordfish Picante - spicy/hot Pichón – small pigeon Pimienta - Pepper Pimiento verde-green pepper Pimientos - Red Peppers Pimientos de Padrón - fried baby green peppers from Galicia Pincho moruno – Shish Kabob Pintas – small red bean Pintxos-Basque tapas Piña - Pineapple Pipas – dried sunflower seeds Plancha - Grilled Plátano - Banana Plato - Plate Plato principal – main course Pochas – white beans from Navarra Poco hecha - Medium-rare Pollo - Chicken Pollo asado – roast chicken Pomelo - grapefruit Postre – dessert Potaje - thick soup Primer plato – first course Propina - Tip Puerros - Leek Pulpo - Octopus Puro Cigar Q Queso – cheese R Rábano – radish Rabo - Tail Rape - Angler fish (Monkfish) Rebozado - coated with breadcrumbs and fried Relleno – Stuffed
Res - beef (as in “carne de res”) Reserva - Reservation Restaurante - Restaurant Revuelto - Scrambled eggs Riñones - Kidney Riñones al Jerez – kidneys cooked in sherry Rodaballo - Turbot Rollito – roll of meat, cheese, etc. Romero – rosemary Rosado – rosé wine (also, clarete) Rosbif – roast beef Roscón – circular cake w/aniseed and sugar Rosquillas – sweet bun S Sacarina - Saccharine Sal – salt Sal gorda – sea salt Salazón – cured Salchicha - Sausage Salchichón - Spicy chorizo sausage Salmón - Salmon Salmonetes - Red mullet Salsa – sauce Salteados – lightly fried Sandía - Watermelon Sandwich mixto - grilled ham and cheese Sangría – cheap red wine drink Sardinas - Sardine Sepia - Cuttlefish Servilleta - Napkin, serviette Setas - Mushrooms Sidra-hard cider Sifón - soda water, seltzer Sobaos – small Asturian sponge cakes Sobrasada – sausage made from pork, salt & paprika Solomillo - Sirloin Sopa - Soup Sorbete - Sorbet Suizo - breakfast roll topped with sugar Surtido – selection Surtido de helados – selection of ice-creams T Tallarines – noodles Tarjeta de crédito – Credit card Tartas - Cakes, pies Taza – Cup Té - Tea Tenedor - Fork Ternera - Veal Tinto – red wine Tocino – pork fat Tomates - Tomatoes Tortilla española (de patatas) – egg & potato omelette Tostada - toast Trucha - Trout Trufa – truffle Turrón – candy made from almonds Txakolí – white wine, Basque
U Urta – Red band bream Uvas – grapes Pasas – raisins V Vaca – cow / beef Vaso – a glass ( for water or mineral drink) Ventresca – Loin of Albacore tuna Verduras – vegetables Vieiras - Scallops Vinagre - Vinegar Vino blanco - White wine Vino rosado - Rosé Vino tinto - Red wine Vinoteca – specialty wine shop Y Yogur - yogurt Z Zanahorias - carrots Zarzuela – spicy, seafood stew Zumo - juice Zumo de Naranja-orange juice