A huge paella pan!!

/tricia

Saffron...I brought some back....and aged manchego.

Oh and one of those wonderful earthenware dishes Sharon CB uses for so many of her dishes. Can't recall the name...someone help! Cazuel..... something like that ????

Ditto the saffron and manchego. Mmmmmmmm.

Jim

Almonds, saffron, olives anything leather, shoes, purses.
The dish is a tangine, or at least I bought one there.

Chase the dish you refer to is called a "cazuela de barro" which means a clay casserole dish. They are unbelievably cheap to buy and come in all shapes and sizes but must be packed well in bubble paper as they are fragile. You can also ask for a "cazuela" but that doesn't necessarily mean one of those brown clay pots.

If near Mallorca, the same dish is called a "greixonera".

Other things to look for: the smoked paprika powder from La Vera, called "Pimenton De La Vera".

Definitely a Manchego cheese if you're allowed to bring one back. We like the semi-cured "semi curado".

Some olive wood items could be nice.

Be careful which saffron you might choose. It should be a dark red and not orange.

Last photo in the link above shows the traditional yellow porcelain mortal and pestle ("mortero"). Very heavy in weight but you will find one of those in most Spanish households, including mine.

SharonCb in BC

Thanks so much for all the responses so far. I'm putting a notepad here by the computer and will compile a "wish list."

I regret I cannot make the trip with DH. Coincidentally, Mario Batali & G. Paltrow are making TV appearances promoting their cookbook & PBS series about eating their way through Spain, and it makes the prospect of such a trip even more enticing.

I appreciate all your suggestions and enjoy learning about Spanish cooking, foods, and wares in the process.

Anchovy stuffed olives...white asparagus...sherry vinegars....

Definitely saffron! It's so much cheaper there than here!
And Spanish Olive oil is wonderful, too. I learned that many of the Italian olive oils are actually produced in Spain and sent to Italy where they are bottled and labelled. Maybe Sharon CB can verify if that is a truth or not.

Linda

My daughter may be in Spain to study and I'd like to tell her the names of some good spanish olive oils. Does anyone know which ones are good? Great link by the way on the dishes, I may see if she can find one of those also.

Serrano Ham sp?

I second saffron, pimienton and manchego, and would like to add jamon ibérico. It is dry-cured ham from acorn-fed wild pigs. Delicious!
I also recommend serrano ham, lomo, and chorizo.

dancingqueen, The olive oil I brought back from Spain was Carbonell. Decent price and I really liked it.

(Cool bottle, too, I still have it-us it as a vase sometimes! LOL)

Linda

Linda sorry I don't know anything about Italian olive oil manufacturing so can't verify if many of them come from Spain.

But I use Carbonell and also La Española brands in my kitchen most of the time. Each manufacturer also sells a range of different qualities, from mild to strong tasting, as well as virgin oils to mixed, so there's a choice. There are also boutique range olive oils for those who want to try something exclusive. They can all be found in most supermarkets or gourmet food shops. Go by the price or ask a shopkeper to find which are the specialty oils. But I haven't yet found a bad Spanish olive oil even among the lower priced brands.

SharonCb in BC

PS I don't think you can bring meats of any kind back into North America. Check with customs before buying.

SharonCb