What food is worth buying at a Spanish supermarket or market, and which brands and products are actually worth the suitcase space?

The four things worth carrying home

Pimentón is smoked paprika, and the good stuff comes from La Vera, where it is dried over oak fires. It is a protected designation, so the tin will say so. Sweet (dulce), bittersweet (agridulce) and hot (picante) are different products, not strengths of the same one.

Aceite de oliva virgen extra is the everyday cooking oil here, sold in large tins and bottles for less than the small imported bottles cost elsewhere. Buy a mid-range Andalusian or Catalan oil for cooking and a small bottle of a single-estate oil for finishing.

Tinned fish is the great Spanish supermarket category. Bonito del norte (white tuna) in olive oil, mussels in escabeche, and small fried fish are all preserved to a standard that makes the tinned tuna at home look like a different food.

Azafrán from La Mancha is real saffron, sold in small sealed packets. It is expensive everywhere, but what is sold as saffron in most countries is often not.

The everyday shop

Jamón comes in a wide range: serrano is the everyday cured ham, ibérico is the acorn-fed one and costs several times more. Sliced packets are fine and much easier to travel with than a whole leg.

Tortilla is sold ready-made in supermarkets, chilled, in wedges. It is a legitimate shortcut for a picnic and better than it sounds.

Pimientos del piquillo are small roasted red peppers, sold in jars, and they are one of the most useful things in a Spanish kitchen.

Membrillo is a firm quince paste eaten with cheese, and turrón is the almond nougat that appears every Christmas alongside polvorones.

Vermut is having a moment in Spain and supermarket brands are perfectly drinkable.

Shopping hours and the Sunday problem

Large supermarkets close on Sundays in most of Spain. Mercadona closes every Sunday. Small convenience shops, petrol stations and some regional chains stay open, and in big cities and tourist areas you will find something, but do not assume it.

The midday closing still survives in smaller towns, where shops shut for lunch and reopen in the evening.

Markets run in the morning and are usually finished by early afternoon. Go before noon for the best produce and the least queue.

What is in season

Winter is citrus — oranges, mandarins and lemons — which is why naranja juice is cheap and good in January.

Spring brings artichokes, broad beans and strawberries.

Summer is tomatoes, peaches, melon, and everything that goes on a grill.

Autumn is mushrooms, chestnuts and game.

Spanish eating hours run late, and the biggest supermarket meal of the day is lunch rather than dinner — see our coperto and cover charge guide for how restaurant charges work in the region.

Frequently asked questions