Spanish history began with Phoenician, Greek and Carthaginian coastal settlements.
Later the Romans and the Moors brought with them elements of their own cooking which is still
present in modern Spanish cooking. Imports included the tomato, potato, sweet potato, vanilla,
chocolate, beans, zucchini, and pepper. Many types of olives can be found, a lot of vineyards and
citrus fruit. Spaniards enjoy garlic, jamon serrano (ham), sweet and hot peppers. Saffron is a commonly used spice that is used in many foods, especially paella. …
