Thu 21 Aug 2008
Another bakery, this time with an American accent. Lots of difference breads, brownies, quiche, etc.
Wed 20 Aug 2008
This shop has an eclectic mix of gourmet foods from all over the world, wine, liquors and food related books, with a French tilt. Its nicely laid out, and fun just to wander around just looking at the large variety of things. Nothing in this shop is partucularly cheap, but prices are reasonable for what they’re selling. If you’re looking to take something nicely packaged and original to a party this would be a good place to look. The people that work there (I imagine the owners, but I’m not sure) are generally helpful and seem to know the stuff they’re selling.
Thu 14 Aug 2008
This small italian shop sells nice fresh pasta, raviolis, gnocchi etc, along with sauces, cheeses, wines, deserts and other italian specialties
Wed 18 Jun 2008
The La Carte des Vins is a nice little wine shop on the Vasquez de Mella Square, with a good selection of Spanish wines, and a few imported ones. I nice alternative to shopping at El Corte Ingles.
Thu 3 Apr 2008
Jamón is ham. Ibérico ham is one of the jewels –maybe THE jewel- of Spanish food products. Ibérico means that it is pork meat from an Ibérico pig, a local breed of pigs that only exists in the peninsula and whose main characteristic is its elongated legs and black hoofs, reason why these hams are sometimes also called pata negra. These pigs are traditionally fed with the acorns of the holm oaks, cork trees, and gall oaks which grow abundantly in Spain inland: in Teruel and in the meadows of the Southwest -the regions of Extremadura, Guijuelo and Huelva.
The hams are classified in different qualities, depending on the diet on which the pig has been fed. The best quality are the Ibéricos de bellota (acorn Ibéricos): these pigs are bred freely in the pastures, they ONLY eat bellotas during the season, and grass the rest of the year. These pigs produce the top quality meats, marked with a red label—.
The ones who are fed with a mixed diet (acorn, grass and dry food) are medium quality, they are called de recebo and are marked with the blue label
The ones fed just with dry food get the yellow label. Consequently, the prices vary greatly from one quality to the other.
You can buy Ibérico ham in shops specialized in pork products or in top range supermarkets. Note that if you buy the best quality -which is worth tasting- you’ll have to pay the price anyway, so we recommend to go to well stablished businesses.
Some in central Madrid:
López Pascual, Corredera Baja de San Pablo 13, –Malasaña -
Cuenllas, Ferraz 3, Arguelles -
Ferpal, Arenal 7, –Sol
Jamón 10, León 10 –Barrio de las Letras - Ver mapa
Juan Pedro Domecq, Velázquez 53 1º izq. –Salamanca - Ver mapa