Spanish vs American food & cuisine

Chicken is the top protein by far, with beef and pork trailing behind, and cheese (especially cheddar and mozzarella) is practically everywhere. In American stores, potatoes show up in every guise – fresh, mashed, frozen fries, chips. Sugar and corn syrup slip into sodas, condiments, and nearly every snack on the shelf.

Beyond bread, wheat in Spanish cuisine features sweat and savory pastries, like churros, empanadas, empanadillas, ensaimadas. Spanish cooks use wheat flour for the light coating on fried fish and seafood and turn stale bread into breadcrumbs for crispy croquettes. While Spaniards don’t eat pasta like their Italian neighbors, they do have fideuà, which is basically paella made with noodles instead of rice, and sopa de fideos, a homey, comforting noodle.

Only a few countries in Europe treat rice as an essential staple, as Spain and Portugal do. Both Iberian Peninsula neighbors are top consumers of rice in Europe. This popularity mostly has to do with the Moors, who, back in the 8th century, popularized rice in Spain. Plain rice is not a frequent Spanish choice; they’re more often found in dishes like paella, arroz negro, arroz con costra, and creamy rice desserts. Mostly, short-grain rice is preferred for its ability to absorb flavors while retaining a distinct bite.

Interestingly, despite their similar culinary traditions, corn is much less popular in Portugal, despite their otherwise similar culinary. While Spain also had colonies in the corn-rich Americas, Spanish cooking customs were already well-established when corn arrived, and the new grain had to compete with existing staples. Corn simply never gained the widespread acceptance that wheat and rice already possessed.

Pancakes and pizza are other carbohydrate favorites. Pancakes are fluffy, baking powder–leavened cakes served here with butter, syrup, or fruit. Pizza, brought by Italian immigrants, spread nationwide with regional styles like New York thin crust and Chicago deep dish.

Mac and cheese is a comfort classic of pasta baked in cheese sauce, now a staple in every kitchen. Breakfast cereals, invented in the U.S., became a quick breakfast, especially for children.

Corn remains central to Southern cooking and fast food, eaten as cornbread, grits, tortillas, popcorn, or sweet corn. Rice’s role is smaller, but is key in Southern, Cajun, Creole, and Asian American dishes, from jambalaya to fried rice.

One of the star vegetables in Spanish cooking is tomato, mostly harvested in southern Andalusia. Tomatoes show up everywhere – in cold gazpacho and salmorejo soups and as the heart of sofrito – the base of slowly cooked tomatoes, onions, and garlic that starts nearly every Spanish stew and paella.

Peppers enhance dishes with colors, like in smoky escalivada – smoky grilled veggies; add depth to rice and meat preparations; season in the form of smoked powder, or are served alone, like grilled pimientos del padrón. Mild, green pepper guindillas, crunchy and marinated with wine vinegar, are popular as a part of small snack pintxos – various ingredients served on a toothpick.

Artichokes are a big deal in Valencia, where locals go crazy for them – you’ll find them grilled over flames or stewed with chunks of ham until tender. Down south, eggplant rules, thanks to the Moors who brought them centuries ago. Try berenjenas con miel – crispy fried eggplant drizzled with honey.

Zucchini and asparagus show up everywhere since they love the Spanish climate. As for legumes, they’re the backbone of comfort food. Chickpeas are a clear favorite, but you’ll also find white beans, pintos, and favas often hanging out with ham and other cured meats in rustic stews.

Americans consume sweet potatoes more frequently and in a wider variety of ways than people in most countries.

Fruits are snacks and breakfast additions to cereal and yogurt, they feature desserts – apples, cherry pies, cobblers, cakes, ice cream toppings, juices, smoothies, and sauces – apple sauce, cranberry sauce, chutneys.  In the U.S., a big chunk of what counts as ‘fruit consumption’ is actually fruit juice, especially orange, which for decades was seen as a breakfast essential.

Sideways to hams go sausages – the spicy red chorizo, with its smoky taste from paprika, the air-dried lomo, and milder salchichón are popular tapas, often served in thin slices.

Fresh pork is also appreciated from nose to toe. Signature dishes are wine-braised cheeks, a cochinillo sado roasted suckling pig from Segovia, and secreto ibérico, a hidden cut of marbled pork.

Spain has a long tradition of sheep herding, especially with breeds churra and manchega, raised for both meat and cheese. Meat is usually prepared rustic style: chuletas de cordero a la brasa – grilled lamb chops, cordero asado – grilled lamb over an open fire, lechazo  – suckling lamb roasted in a wood-fired oven.

Beef also has a tradition in Spain, though it is less central than pork or lamb. Raising and consuming oxen in Spain dates back centuries – their strength was used for plowing fields or transporting goods, and meat consumed after in dishes like carrillade de buye – ox cheek stew, ternera gallega – Galician beef, rabo de toro– slow-cooked ox tail in tomato and wine sauce. Some beef in Spain is also dry-cured, like cecinea de leon.

Speaking of the game, rabbit is pretty popular. You’ll find it in garlicky conejo al ajillo and in authentic paella Valenciana where rabbit (not seafood) is actually a traditional ingredient.

Meat is associated with American identity, strength, reinforced through social and media narratives, though concerns about health, sustainability, and animal welfare are beginning to challenge consumption patterns.

Barbecue culture, BBQ ribs, slow-cooked pork or beef ribs with smoky barbecue sauce are super American foods. Americans now eat 50 billion burgers a year. Many assume burgers and hot dogs are low-end foods, but in the U.S., chefs now elevate them with dry-aged beef, foie gras, or artisan buns, making them gourmet, Instagram-worthy, and still culturally familiar.

Turkey is the centerpiece of Thanksgiving. Outside of holidays, turkey isn’t eaten as frequently, especially whole. Instead, it appears as sliced deli meat, ground (a leaner substitute for beef), or as sausage.

Fried chicken was not invented in the U.S., but it was transformed there into the globally recognized dish we know today.  In the U.S. South, fried chicken became distinctive: heavily seasoned, with a crispy crust, deep-fried in oil.

Today, American meat traditions sit at a crossroads: cherished for tradition, questioned for their climate impact.  Beef consumption gradually declines, chicken rises, and new options like blended proteins and lab-grown meat emerge alongside growing environmental awareness.

Even inland, seafood is major: paella de marisco – seafood paella, zarzuela de mariscos – seafood stew, pulpo a la gallega – octopus with smoked paprika, bacalao al pil pil – salted cod with olive oil, boquerones en vinagre – vinegary anchovies, and gambas al ajillo – garlic shrimp, are iconic Spanish dishes. Fish markets are bustling with variety, and Spaniards have great respect for the quality and freshness of their catch.

Asian American communities, especially in Hawaii and along the West Coast, helped make raw and grilled fish more common. Caribbean and Latin American communities contributed to the popularity of ceviche, salted fish, and other coastal favorites, especially in Florida and urban areas.

Shrimp, tuna, and salmon are staples in the U.S., shrimp is the most popular seafood overall. Canned tuna is the second most popular seafood product. Of those Americans who eat canned tuna, the vast majority, 83 percent, eat it for lunch. In fact, canned tuna is the only regularly consumed seafood at lunch.

One of the most famous is manchego, made from sheep milk. Its rind has a unique crisscross pattern created using wooden molds. Manchego comes in various aging stages, from young and mild to aged and sharp.

Spain produces Europe’s priciest cheese: cabrales, aged in specific caves. At auction, they can fetch over €15,000 per wheel, setting world records for cheese prices.

Spain also has some truly unusual cheeses, such as torta del casar. This cheese is intentionally made using an enzyme from thistle flowers instead of animal rennet, which gives it a bitter taste and an extremely runny texture. It’s eaten by cutting off the top and scooping out the interior.

Cheddar consistently ranks as the #1 or #2 most-produced cheese. The U.S. cheddar is milder, moister, and more uniform than traditional English versions. Philadelphia cream cheese is an American invention that has become globally popular.

According to the World Best Olive Oils rankings, Spanish extra virgin olive oils hold the top positions and garner the most awards and recognition globally (source).

Spanish desserts tend toward simplicity compared to the elaborate pastries of France or the richness of American desserts. They are often made of a few high-quality ingredients with minimal processing.

Almond dominance distinguishes local desserts on a global scale. Spain is the second-largest consumer of almonds, incorporating them into turrón —almond nougat—marzipan from Toledo, countless cakes, and cookies. There is even an almond-based soup called ajo blanco, in which almonds are combined with garlic, bread, and vinegar to create an elegant soup (or sauce).

Other nuts, such as pines, hazelnuts, and walnuts, are used in cakes, pastries, marzipans, cold soups, and drinks, like horchata de chufa.

The Mediterranean trifecta of honey, citrus, and olive oil frequently appears in Spanish desserts. Honey often replaces refined sugar, and the use of olive oil in desserts predates butter-based pastries in Spanish cuisine.

Americans have a strong cultural sweet tooth, and their desserts tend to be very sweet and indulgent, often using large amounts of sugar, butter, and cream. The portion sizes of desserts also tend to be larger than in many cultures. Generally, desserts focus on ease, comfort, and sharing, not ceremony.