Enjoying Tortilla Española & Horchata in Valencia, Spain

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Published on December 04, 2022

Enjoying Tortilla Española & Horchata in Valencia, Spain

Bonus: A recipe from our book “Cooking for Grownups”

Left image photo by blackieshoot on Unsplash, right image photo by author

I recently visited Valencia, Spain’s third largest city. Below I’ll share a few highlights, notes on the Spanish dining out experience, and link to a recipe so you can enjoy a taste of the Spain travel experience from the comfort of your own kitchen!

Having visited several cities in Spain in the past, Valencia felt significantly less touristy than Madrid, Barcelona, and Sevilla. Valencia is a provincial capitol with over 1.6 million inhabitants in and around the city. It boasts a busy commercial port, a Mediterranean beach, and a city center dating back to the Christian conquest of the region in 1238. In November 2022, Internations named Valencia as the best city in the world for expats living and working abroad.

As a visitor, an interesting aspect of the city was the juxtaposition of the historic structures from the middle ages against the ultra-modern museums and parks of the “City of Arts and Sciences” (pictured below).

Photos by author

When it came to the food scene, the city boasted Spain’s finest Paella, fresh seafood, tortilla Española, tapas, pastries, and a beverage known as horchata (also spelled orxata). Valencia’s restaurant etiquette lived up to the country’s reputation for late dining. I was eating out most evenings around eight or eight-thirty PM and was often one of the first people to arrive. The rest of the tables would only start to fill up after I finished eating around ten PM.

Photo of a local horchata and local pastries by Photocapy via Wikimedia Commons

You may have tried a Latin American Version of horchata, which is usually made with rice or sesame milk. In Valencia, the drink’s base is made from the tiger nut (Cyperus esculentus), giving it a unique herbal flavor. These beverages are usually loaded with sugar, but I found a cafe in the Mercado de Colon called Casa Orxata-Bio Horchata that offered a sugar free version (see below).

mercado de colon and horchata cafe in valencia

Photos of the Mercado de Colon by author

The tortilla Española (or Spanish Omelette), was another traditional Spanish dish done well in Valencia. The main ingredients of this savory dish are eggs and potatoes and goes well with breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

Photo by Retama via Wikimedia Commons

By this point you’re probably getting a bit hungry! Are you ready to try your hand at a tasty version of the tortilla Española? As noted above, just because it has eggs doesn’t mean you can’t have the dish for lunch or dinner. And this also tastes great when served cold!

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The recipe below is from our book: Cooking for Grownups: Easy, Nutritious, and Delicious Recipes with Gluten Free, Low-FODMAP, and Vegetarian Options. This book is perfect for the “what should we make for dinner” debate, for planning your next trip to the grocery store, and as a reminder of fun meals and good times. The design of this book makes it a good primer for those “kids” going to college, “post-grads” striking out on their own, young families who need simplicity in their lives, or people who are simply newer to cooking. As many of us have people in our lives who are sensitive to some foods, it is also designed to accommodate several of those sensitivities with some of our favorite recipes.

Photo of the finished product by author

How To: Make A Tortilla Española

Our take on the classic Spanish Omelette

More Features of the Citizen Upgrade Cookbook:

Recipes for beverages, side dishes, main courses, and desserts.
Graphical rating system (in the paperback and hardback versions) to evaluate recipes as you try them.
Substitution notes to accommodate a variety of restrictions, including gluten free (GF), low-FODMAP (FOD), and vegetarian diets (V).
Available in paperback, hardback, and eBook (kindle) editions.
Blank lined pages are included in the print versions so you can take notes or write in your own favorite recipes.

Order your copy via the link below!

Image courtesy of author, order your copy of the book here!

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