99 Fun Facts About Spain

What is the capital city of Spain?

Madrid has been the capital of Spain since 1561 when King Philip II moved the court there. It is located in the geographic center of the Iberian Peninsula.

Which Spanish architect designed the Sagrada Família basilica in Barcelona?

Antoni Gaudí took over the Sagrada Família in 1883, a year after Francisco de Paula del Villar began it, and devoted the rest of his life to it until his death in 1926; construction has run well over a century.

What is the traditional Spanish rice dish typically made with saffron, seafood, or meat?

Paella originated in Valencia and is one of Spain's most iconic dishes. The word comes from the Old French 'paele' (pan). Traditional Valencian paella uses rabbit, chicken, and green beans.

Which football club plays its home matches at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium?

Real Madrid has played at the ground since it opened in December 1947; it was renamed in 1955 for Santiago Bernabéu, the club president who drove its construction, and gained a retractable roof in a 2019–2024 rebuild.

What is gazpacho?

Gazpacho is a cold soup originating from the Andalusia region of southern Spain. It is made from raw blended vegetables including tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, garlic, and olive oil.

Which Spanish artist painted Guernica, a mural-sized work depicting the horrors of war?

Pablo Picasso painted Guernica in 1937 in response to the bombing of the Basque town of Guernica during the Spanish Civil War. The painting is now housed in the Museo Reina Sofía in Madrid.

What pilgrimage route across northern Spain ends at the shrine of the apostle James in Galicia?

The Camino de Santiago (Way of St James) is the network of pilgrim routes converging on Santiago de Compostela cathedral in Galicia, where the apostle's relics are said to rest; the Camino Francés crosses northern Spain from the Pyrenees.

Which island group off the northwest coast of Africa is an autonomous community of Spain?

The Canary Islands are a Spanish archipelago located about 100 km off the coast of Morocco. Despite their African proximity, they are fully part of Spain and the EU. The islands include Tenerife, Gran Canaria, and Lanzarote.

Which festival in the Valencian town of Buñol is a giant one-hour food fight?

La Tomatina is held in Buñol, Valencia, on the last Wednesday of August: trucks dump well over 100 tonnes of tomatoes for a one-hour fight. It dates from 1945, reportedly born of a street brawl near a vegetable stall.

Which river, reaching the Atlantic at Lisbon, is the longest in the Iberian Peninsula?

The Tagus (Tajo in Spanish, Tejo in Portuguese) runs about 1,007 km from the Montes Universales to the Atlantic at Lisbon, the longest river in Iberia; the Ebro, Spain's longest river wholly within the country, is about 930 km.

The Nasrid kings built the Alhambra in which city?

Granada's Alhambra is a UNESCO site and one of Europe's best-preserved pieces of Islamic architecture.

Which cured ham's top grade, labelled 'de bellota', comes from acorn-fed black-hoofed pigs?

Jamón ibérico's top grade, labelled de bellota, comes from acorn-fed pigs; by law the pigs must be pure Iberian or at least half Iberian crossed only with Duroc.

Which annual festival in Pamplona features the running of bulls through the streets?

The San Fermín festival takes place in Pamplona every July. The encierro (running of the bulls) covers an 875-meter course through the old town. Ernest Hemingway's 1926 novel The Sun Also Rises brought international fame to the event.

Which tennis player from Mallorca has won a record number of French Open titles?

Rafael Nadal, born in Manacor, Mallorca, won 14 French Open titles between 2005 and 2022, earning him the nickname 'The King of Clay.' His total of 22 Grand Slam titles ranks among the most in tennis history.

Which language is official throughout the whole of Spain?

Castilian Spanish (castellano in the 1978 constitution) is the one language official across all of Spain; Catalan, Valencian, Galician, Basque and Aranese are co-official only within their own regions.

Which museum in Madrid houses works by Velázquez, Goya, and El Greco?

The Museo del Prado, opened in 1819, is Spain's main national art museum; Goya is its most extensively represented artist, and it holds the principal collections of Velázquez and El Greco.

What type of dance and music originated in the Andalusia region of Spain?

Flamenco is an art form combining singing (cante), guitar (toque), dance (baile), and handclaps (palmas). It developed in Andalusia among the Roma (Gitano) communities and was designated a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2010.

Which Spanish region has Barcelona as its capital and has a strong independence movement?

On 27 October 2017 the Catalan Parliament unilaterally declared independence after a referendum the Constitutional Court had ruled unconstitutional; Madrid responded by suspending the region's autonomy.

What is sangria?

Sangria is a wine punch with chopped fruit, usually made with red wine; the name means 'bloodletting' in Spanish, a nod to its colour, and under EU rules only Spain and Portugal may label a drink 'Sangria'.

Who wrote Don Quixote, considered the first modern novel?

Miguel de Cervantes published the first part of Don Quixote in 1605 and the second in 1615. The novel follows the adventures of a man who loses his sanity reading chivalric romances and sets out as a knight-errant. It is one of the most translated books in history.

Which process in Spanish history began at Covadonga around 718 and took nearly eight centuries?

The Reconquista was the Christian kingdoms' retaking of Iberia from Muslim rule, conventionally dated from the Battle of Covadonga (c. 718–722), a decade after the Muslim conquest began in 711, and it took nearly eight centuries to complete.

Which Spanish city hosts Las Fallas, where giant papier-mâché figures are burned?

Las Fallas takes place in Valencia every March. Neighborhoods spend months building elaborate ninots (figures) that can be several stories tall. On the final night (La Cremà), all but one winning figure are set ablaze.

Which strait, just 14 km across at its narrowest, separates Spain from Morocco?

The Strait of Gibraltar links the Mediterranean to the Atlantic; at its narrowest, between Point Marroquí in Spain and Point Cires in Morocco, just 14.3 km (8.9 miles) of water separate Europe from Africa.

What is a tortilla española?

A potato omelette, thick and round, made with eggs and potatoes and often onions; despite the name it is nothing like the Mexican tortilla.

Which surrealist artist, known for melting clocks, was born in Figueres, Catalonia?

Salvador Dalí (1904-1989) was born in Figueres, where his self-designed Dalí Theatre-Museum now stands. His painting The Persistence of Memory (1931), featuring melting clocks, is one of the most recognizable works of surrealist art.

What is the name of the Spanish parliament?

The Cortes Generales is Spain's bicameral parliament, consisting of the Congress of Deputies (lower house) and the Senate (upper house). The name 'Cortes' has been used for Spanish legislative assemblies since medieval times.

Which Balearic island is known for its electronic dance music nightlife scene?

Ibiza became the global capital of electronic dance music in the 1980s and 90s, with superclubs such as Pacha (opened 1973) and Amnesia drawing millions of summer visitors; the island is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

In what year did the Spanish Armada attempt to invade England?

In 1588, King Philip II of Spain sent a fleet of about 130 ships to overthrow Queen Elizabeth I of England. The campaign ended in disaster due to English fireships, storms, and tactical errors, marking a turning point in European naval power.

What are tapas?

Tapas are small snacks served with drinks at bars; tapa means 'lid', and the custom is said to come from covering a glass with bread to keep flies out. Granada is famous for a free tapa with each drink.

Which Argentine FC Barcelona forward is widely considered one of the greatest footballers ever?

Lionel Messi spent 21 years at FC Barcelona (2000-2021), scoring a club-record 672 goals. He won 10 La Liga titles and 4 Champions League trophies with the club before departing for Paris Saint-Germain and later Inter Miami.

Which Spanish general's 1936 coup started the Civil War, after which he ruled until 1975?

Francisco Franco was appointed supreme leader on 1 October 1936 and ruled until his death in 1975; Sanjurjo and Mola, who outranked him at the start, both died in plane crashes.

What is the Basque Country's language, a relative of no other known tongue, called?

Euskara, the Basque language, is Europe's only surviving language isolate: it has no demonstrated relative and predates the arrival of Indo-European speech, and it is the only co-official language in Spain that is not Romance.

Which mountain range forms a natural border between Spain and France?

The Pyrenees stretch about 491 km from the Bay of Biscay to the Mediterranean Sea, forming the natural border between Spain and France. The tiny nation of Andorra is nestled within them. The highest peak is Aneto at 3,404 meters.

What is the vast plateau that holds Madrid and 40% of mainland Spain called?

The Meseta Central is the high plateau at the heart of the Iberian Peninsula, covering about 40% of mainland Spain at an average of roughly 660 metres with a harsh continental climate; Madrid sits on it.

Which Tempranillo-led Spanish wine region on the Ebro was the first to gain DOCa status?

Rioja, on the Ebro, became Spain's first DOCa wine region in 1991, with Priorat following in 2000; Tempranillo accounts for almost 88 percent of its red-grape plantings, and wines are graded Crianza, Reserva and Gran Reserva by ageing.

What significant event happened in Spain in 1492 besides Columbus's voyage?

Ferdinand and Isabella took Granada in January, expelled Spain's Jews by the Alhambra Decree in March, and funded Columbus's voyage in August, all in the same year.

Which Spanish city's cathedral was once a great mosque, red-and-white arches and all?

Córdoba's Mezquita-Catedral began as the Umayyad Great Mosque, famed for its red-and-white arches; it became a cathedral in 1236 when Ferdinand III of Castile took the city, and its minaret was encased in the bell tower.

How many autonomous communities does Spain have?

Spain has 17 autonomous communities, each with its own parliament and statute of self-government; the last, Castilla y León, was constituted in 1983, and two autonomous cities sit outside the system.

Which Spanish poet was killed by Nationalist militia weeks into the Civil War in 1936?

Federico García Lorca, author of Blood Wedding, was shot by Nationalist forces near Granada in August 1936, weeks into the Civil War; his grave has never been found.

What is the Spanish tradition of siesta?

A siesta is a short afternoon nap taken after lunch, traditionally in the hottest hours; English-language media often confuse it with the long midday break in Spanish working hours. The custom spread to Latin America and the Philippines.

Which Basque sport has players hurl a ball at a wall with a curved basket strapped to the hand?

Jai alai (cesta punta) players catch and sling the ball with a curved wicker cesta strapped to the hand, reaching speeds of around 300 km/h, among the fastest in any ball sport; the game spread to Florida, Mexico and Cuba.

What name is given to the 1981 coup attempt in which Tejero seized Congress?

Spain calls the coup 23-F after its date, 23 February 1981: Lieutenant-Colonel Antonio Tejero held the deputies hostage for about 18 hours until King Juan Carlos's televised denunciation collapsed it and strengthened the young monarchy.

What fortified wine is made from white grapes grown around Jerez de la Frontera in Spain?

Its official appellation is Jerez-Xérès-Sherry, and styles run from bone-dry Fino to syrupy Pedro Ximénez; the English word is simply an anglicisation of Xérès.

Which painter created Las Meninas?

Diego Velázquez painted Las Meninas in 1656 while serving as court painter to King Philip IV. The complex composition, showing the Infanta Margarita surrounded by her entourage while Velázquez paints the king and queen (reflected in a mirror), has been endlessly analyzed by art scholars.

Which Spanish king abdicated in 2014 in favor of his son, Felipe VI?

King Juan Carlos I abdicated on June 19, 2014, after nearly 39 years on the throne. His son became Felipe VI. Juan Carlos left Spain in 2020 amid financial scandals and settled in Abu Dhabi.

The Guggenheim Museum in which Spanish city is credited with revitalizing its region through cultural tourism?

The Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, designed by Frank Gehry and opened in 1997, transformed the declining industrial city. Regeneration through iconic cultural buildings became known as the 'Bilbao Effect'.

What is the name of Spain's regulated wine-appellation system, the counterpart of France's AOC?

Created in 1932, the system reserves its top tier, DOCa, for regions with a long record of quality; only two have earned it.

What name is given to the Muslim-ruled territories of Iberia between 711 and 1492?

At its height it covered most of the peninsula and even Septimania across the Pyrenees, before shrinking over the centuries to the Emirate of Granada.

Which Spanish city hosted the 1992 Summer Olympics?

The 1992 Barcelona Olympics transformed the city, opening its waterfront, building new infrastructure like the Olympic Ring on Montjuïc, and modernizing transportation. The games are considered one of the most successful Olympics in history and put Barcelona on the global tourism map.

Which island holds Teide, at 3,715 m the highest point in Spain?

Teide, on Tenerife in the Canary Islands, is Spain's highest point at 3,715 m; measured from its base on the ocean floor it rises about 7,500 m, the third-tallest volcano on Earth, and it last erupted in 1909.

Mulhacén, the highest peak on the Spanish mainland, rises in which range?

Mulhacén, at 3,479 m, crowns the Sierra Nevada in Andalusia, part of the Penibaetic System along the southern coast; it is the highest peak in Europe outside the Alps and the Caucasus.

Which Almería badland doubled for the Wild West in dozens of spaghetti westerns?

The Tabernas Desert near Almería hosted dozens of spaghetti westerns in the 1960s, including Sergio Leone's Dollars trilogy; several western towns built for them, such as Fort Bravo and Mini Hollywood, survive as tourist attractions.

Doñana National Park sits on the marshy delta of which river?

Doñana lies on the marshes of the Guadalquivir delta in Andalusia; first protected as a royal hunting reserve by Alfonso X in 1262, it became a national park in 1969 and is a stronghold of the Iberian lynx.

Which Spanish town is an exclave entirely surrounded by France?

Llívia stayed Spanish because the 1659 Treaty of the Pyrenees ceded only the 'villages' of the Cerdanya to France and Llívia held the rank of town; a neutral road links it to Puigcerdà across about 2 km of French territory.

Which was Spain's first national park, created in 1918?

Picos de Europa was created on 22 July 1918 as the Montaña de Covadonga National Park, championed by Pedro Pidal, Marquess of Villaviciosa; Ordesa followed weeks later, and the park became a UNESCO biosphere reserve in 2003.

The 1494 treaty splitting new lands between Castile and Portugal is named for which town?

The Treaty of Tordesillas (7 June 1494) drew a line 370 leagues west of the Cape Verde islands, Castile taking the west and Portugal the east; the far side of the globe was split by the 1529 Treaty of Zaragoza.

Which monastery-palace did Philip II build to mark his 1557 victory at Saint-Quentin?

El Escorial, begun in 1563 and finished in 1584, commemorates the 10 August 1557 victory at Saint-Quentin, won on St Lawrence's day — hence its gridiron plan; it is often called the largest Renaissance building in the world.

Spain ceded Gibraltar to Britain under which 1713 peace settlement?

Under the 1713 Treaty of Utrecht, Article X ceded Gibraltar to Britain and Article XI ceded Menorca; Menorca was returned to Spain by the 1802 Treaty of Amiens, while Gibraltar has remained British.

Which Umayyad emir declared himself caliph in 929, challenging the Fatimids?

Abd al-Rahman III, emir of Córdoba from 912, proclaimed himself caliph in 929 to counter the Fatimid caliphate in North Africa; his reign marked the height of Umayyad al-Andalus, and he built the palace-city of Madinat al-Zahra.

Which city's Roman aqueduct of 167 arches appears on its coat of arms?

Segovia's aqueduct, built around the first century AD, carried water about 17 km from the Fuente Fría spring and stayed in service until 1973; its 167 granite arches, laid without mortar, appear on the city's coat of arms.

The painted ceiling of Cantabria's Altamira cave shows a herd of which animal?

The bison of Altamira's polychrome ceiling were painted around 14,000–16,000 years ago in the Magdalenian period; eight-year-old María Sanz de Sautuola first noticed them in 1879, and UNESCO listed the cave in 1985.

In which year did the Spanish Civil War end in Nationalist victory?

The war ended in 1939: Madrid fell on 28 March after the Casado coup split the Republican side, and Franco's Nationalists declared victory on 1 April 1939, five months before the Second World War began.

Which Roman emperor was born at Italica in Hispania Baetica in AD 53?

Trajan, emperor from 98 to 117, was born at Italica, now Santiponce outside Seville, in AD 53; Scipio Africanus had founded the town in 206 BC for Italian veterans of the war against Carthage, and Hadrian's family came from it.

Who brought the ship Victoria home in 1522 to finish the first circumnavigation?

Juan Sebastián Elcano brought the Victoria into Sanlúcar de Barrameda on 6 September 1522 with 18 surviving Europeans of the roughly 270 who had sailed with Magellan in 1519; Charles V granted him a globe crest reading Primus circumdedisti me.

Which Phoenician-founded port proclaimed Spain's liberal constitution of 1812?

Nicknamed 'La Pepa' because it was proclaimed on St Joseph's day, the constitution was announced in a square now called Plaza de la Constitución.

Which deputy's 1931 campaign won Spanish women the right to vote?

Clara Campoamor, a Radical deputy elected in 1931 before women could vote, won the Cortes debate against fellow deputy Victoria Kent; the measure passed 161 to 121 on 1 October 1931, and women first voted in the 1933 election.

Why did the 1918 pandemic end up being called the 'Spanish' flu?

Spain was neutral in the First World War, so its uncensored press reported the outbreak freely, including King Alfonso XIII's illness in May 1918, while belligerents' censors suppressed news; the name stuck despite earlier cases in the United States.

The 11 March 2004 Madrid bombings, which killed 193 people, targeted what?

Ten bombs went off on four rush-hour trains three days before a general election; the attack became known simply as 11-M.

Which armed Basque separatist group formally dissolved in 2018?

ETA (Euskadi Ta Askatasuna), founded in 1959 by students frustrated with the moderate Basque Nationalist Party, killed more than 800 people; it declared a definitive end to armed activity in October 2011 and announced its dissolution in May 2018.

Where did Spain rank worldwide when it legalised same-sex marriage in 2005?

Spain was the third country to legalise same-sex marriage; only the Netherlands (2001) and Belgium (2003) had acted earlier. The law passed 187 to 147 in June 2005 and took effect 17 days before Canada's nationwide Civil Marriage Act.

Which Socialist prime minister governed Spain from 1982 to 1996?

Felipe González's Socialists won 202 of 350 seats in 1982; he led Spain into the European Community in 1986 and governed for thirteen and a half years until José María Aznar defeated him in 1996.

Which monument near Madrid was the dictator's burial site from 1975 until 2019?

The Valley of the Fallen, built on Franco's orders from 1940 as a 'national act of atonement', held his tomb from 1975 until his exhumation to Mingorrubio cemetery in 2019; it holds around 33,000 Civil War dead from both sides.

What is unusual about Spain's national anthem, the Marcha Real?

The Marcha Real has no official lyrics; first printed in a 1761 book of military fife and drum calls, it shed the words sung under Franco after 1978. San Marino, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo also have wordless anthems.

The giant black bull silhouettes on Spanish hilltops began in 1956 as adverts for what?

The bulls advertised Osborne's Veterano brandy, first erected in 1956; a 1988 roadside-advertising law stripped the lettering, and the Supreme Court ruled in 1997 that the bulls could stay as cultural landmarks — about 90 survive.

Timed to the Puerta del Sol clock in Madrid, what do Spaniards eat with the twelve midnight chimes on New Year's Eve?

Grapes, one per chime, a custom dating back to at least 1895 and broadcast nationally since 1962.

Spain's huge Christmas lottery draw, famous for El Gordo, is held on which date?

The Sorteo de Navidad is drawn every 22 December, a tradition descended from the first draw held in Cádiz on 18 December 1812; 'El Gordo' strictly means the top prize of any Spanish lottery, not this draw in particular.

What are castells, a UNESCO-listed Catalan tradition?

Castells are human towers, inscribed by UNESCO in 2010, in which teams of castellers climb onto each other's shoulders; the tradition grew out of the 'ball de valencians' in Valls in the 18th century, and the tallest reach ten levels.

What is the Botafumeiro that swings through Galicia's great pilgrimage cathedral?

The Botafumeiro is a giant incense burner (thurible) weighing about 53 kg; eight tiraboleiros haul on a pulley system in the crossing dome to swing it through the transepts, and it is used at every Pilgrims' Mass in Holy Years.

In which year did Spain abandon GMT for Central European Time?

In 1940 Franco moved Spain's clocks an hour ahead to Central European Time, matching Germany, and the change was never reversed; the mainland lies on the Greenwich meridian, so the Canaries stay an hour behind: 'una hora menos en Canarias'.

Which Spanish lollipop brand's 1969 daisy logo was drawn by a famous surrealist?

Chupa Chups, launched by Enric Bernat in 1958, got its daisy logo from Salvador Dalí in 1969, reportedly sketched in an hour over lunch; the company's first slogan translated as 'It's round and long-lasting'.

Which 1999 Pedro Almodóvar film won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film?

All About My Mother won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in March 2000; dedicated to Bette Davis, Romy Schneider and Gena Rowlands, it took a Golden Globe and BAFTA. Talk to Her later won Best Original Screenplay.

Javier Bardem won an Oscar for playing the assassin Anton Chigurh in which film?

No Country for Old Men (2007), the Coen brothers' adaptation of Cormac McCarthy, won Bardem the Best Supporting Actor Oscar, making him the first Spanish actor to win an Academy Award; he had earlier been nominated for Before Night Falls.

El Greco, born on Crete, settled in which Spanish city in 1577 for the rest of his life?

El Greco settled in Toledo in 1577, then Spain's religious capital as seat of the primate, and died there in 1614; The Burial of the Count of Orgaz, View of Toledo and Opening of the Fifth Seal were painted there.

Goya painted his 14 Black Paintings directly onto the plaster walls of what?

Goya painted the Black Paintings (c. 1819–1823) on the walls of his own house outside Madrid, the Quinta del Sordo, already named 'House of the Deaf Man' for a previous deaf owner; Goya himself had been deaf since 1793.

Who wrote the 1939 guitar Concierto de Aranjuez despite being nearly blind?

Joaquín Rodrigo, blind from the age of three after diphtheria, composed the Concierto de Aranjuez in Paris in 1939 though he never played the guitar; his wife Victoria Kamhi said the slow movement recalled their honeymoon and a lost pregnancy.

In Money Heist, the Professor's first target is which building?

The first heist targets the Royal Mint of Spain, where the gang plans to print and escape with 984 million euros; the Bank of Spain is the later target. The show made 'Bella ciao' a 2018 summer hit.

Which flamenco guitar virtuoso from Algeciras recorded 'Entre dos aguas'?

Paco de Lucía, born in Algeciras in 1947, recorded the rumba 'Entre dos aguas' in 1973; his ten albums with singer Camarón de la Isla reshaped flamenco, and he later played with jazz musicians John McLaughlin and Chick Corea.

Fashion giant Zara opened its first shop in 1975 in which Galician city?

Amancio Ortega and Rosalía Mera opened the first Zara on Calle Juan Flórez in A Coruña in 1975; the Inditex group grew up around it and is headquartered in nearby Arteixo rather than Madrid or Barcelona.

Which Spaniard shared the 1906 Nobel Prize in Medicine for work on the nervous system?

Santiago Ramón y Cajal shared the 1906 Nobel Prize with Camillo Golgi, whose staining method he used to show that neurons are separate cells — the neuron doctrine that Golgi himself rejected in his Nobel lecture.

What kind of aircraft did Juan de la Cierva invent, first flown at Getafe in 1923?

The autogyro's unpowered rotor spins freely in the airflow while a propeller pulls the craft forward; de la Cierva's C.4 first flew at Getafe on 9 January 1923, and he moved to Britain in 1925 to license the design worldwide.

Who scored Spain's extra-time winner in the 2010 World Cup final?

Andrés Iniesta volleyed the winner in the 116th minute against the Netherlands in Johannesburg, four minutes from the end of extra time, in the only World Cup final outside Europe contested by two European sides.

Fernando Alonso won his two Formula One world titles with which team?

Fernando Alonso won both titles with Renault, in 2005 and 2006; the 2005 crown, at 24, made him Spain's first champion and, at the time, the youngest in Formula One history.

Which Spaniard, aged 23, became the first European to win golf's Masters, in 1980?

Seve Ballesteros was then the youngest Masters winner; a year earlier he had won the Open after hitting a tee shot into a car park and still making birdie.

Which La Liga club fields only players born or trained in the Basque region?

Athletic Bilbao has fielded only players born or trained in the greater Basque Country since the 1910s; despite that, it is one of only three clubs, with Real Madrid and Barcelona, never relegated since La Liga began in 1929.

Spain's 2–1 win over England at Euro 2024 gave it a record how many European titles?

The 2024 win was Spain's fourth European Championship after 1964, 2008 and 2012, overtaking Germany's three; Spain won all seven matches and scored a tournament-record fifteen goals.

About 95% of cava sparkling wine comes from which Catalan region?

The Penedès, southwest of Barcelona, produces about 95% of cava; its village of Sant Sadurní d'Anoia hosts the biggest houses, Freixenet and Codorníu, and only wine made by the traditional bottle-fermentation method may carry the name.

Valencia's horchata is traditionally made from what?

Horchata de chufa is made from tiger nuts, the small tubers of the chufa sedge, which arrived with Muslim rule around the 8th century; sixteen municipalities of L'Horta Nord grow them under the protected Chufa de Valencia designation.

Manchego cheese must be made from the milk of which animal?

Sheep of the Manchega breed supply the whole milk, and nothing else qualifies.

Which Spanish province produces the most olive oil?

Jaén, in Andalusia, is the world's biggest olive-oil-producing province, its 60-million-plus trees yielding around 40 percent of Spain's oil in a normal harvest; Andalusia as a whole supplies about three-quarters of the national output.