What to Bring Back from Spain?
What to buy in Spain as a souvenir, a gift, for everyday use? Food and sweets, clothing and cosmetics, jewelry and accessories, prices 2023. A list of necessary things that you can bring home from Spain for yourself, family or friends.
Spain is a fairly obvious destination for shopping lovers. Not like France or Italy, of course, but everything is very popular.
So when traveling here, you should stock up on not one, but two suitcases. And leave as much space as possible in them on the way back!
Of course, you will say that you can save money and bring impressions instead of products – by trying right in Spain traditional dishes like jamon. But we will object – memories often need actual nourishment!
That’s why we have compiled a list of best souvenirs and other things from Spain that are definitely worth paying attention to. And not only that – it would be nice to buy them and bring home!
To decorate the table during family dinners. And also – yourself or at home, an original gift to relatives or colleagues at work.
Best Souvenirs from Spain
Figurines can be a good gift from Spain. They depict, for example, bulls and bullfighters, Don Quixote and Sancho Panza, flamenco dancers.
Ceramic products are of interest: mugs, plates, vases. They are made and painted by craftsmen by hand. Folk patterns are used for decoration. And in Catalonia, there are often motives characteristic of Gaudi’s work.
Castanets occupy an honorable place among inexpensive and bright Spanish souvenirs. They are two hemispheres made of wood or plastic, fastened with a cord.
Spaniards believe that the sound of castanets resembles the beating of a human heart. The instrument is useful not only in dance, but also for developing a sense of rhythm.
A guitar from Spain is a more expensive and status gift. A large number of musical instruments are still produced in the country. Local craftsmen make wooden guitars by hand, these products have a unique sound.
As the authoritative portal theculturetrip.com/…/15-things-you-can-only-buy-in-spain/ rightly notes you can buy the rock legends’ favourite guitars. It’s an expensive pleasure, but guitars made by Felipe Conde have been played by Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen!
An unusual souvenir from Spain: porron and bota – are traditional wine vessels. Previously, farmers took such containers with them along with bread and cheese, going to work in the field.
The porron resembles a teapot made of glass and has 2 holes of different diameters. A hand-made porron that can be used to store wine costs about 30-35 euros.
Bota is a wine skin made of leather.
Spanish fan
will be a great gift. They are made of wood, paper, and today plastic.
Handmade lace from Spain is suitable as a souvenir for yourself or a gift to your loved ones. You can buy shawls, napkins, tablecloths. Women can pay attention to blouses, stoles and accessories decorated with embroidery.
It is worth bringing wood and lace products from Galicia. Toledo is famous for steel and jewelry, while Cordoba is famous for leather bags, belts and purses. Beautiful carpets and patterned bedspreads are woven in Murcia.
Products from Spain
Spain is known for its tempranillo wine and raw ham ham. Although, of course, its gastronomic treasures are not limited to these two products.
As in other countries of southern Europe, a lot of attention is paid to cheeses and olive oil, as well as desserts. But anyway, we will put at the top of the list
Jamón
There are two varieties of jamon: ibérico and serrano.
Jamón ibérico, or “Black Leg”, is considered a delicacy and costs accordingly. That does not stop tourists who regularly buy and bring this not the cheapest product from Spain.
100 grams of slicing cost more than 10 euros today, and a whole leg can cost 500-600.
For the Spaniards themselves, buying a leg of Iberian jamon is a Christmas tradition. During family dinners, the owner of the house fixes the jamon on a special jamonero stand and cuts thin pieces with an elongated perfectly sharpened knife, moving along the bone. The resulting slices should be translucent — this is the correct way of slicing.
Jamón serrano is simpler and refers to the products of daily use, although we also advise you to buy it and try it in Spain. Moreover, its price is several times lower than jamon iberico.
It is serrano that is served as a snack in bars and restaurants as part of tapas. That’s what you usually find in ready-made sandwiches.
Wine and Cava
Spaniards are proud of their wines. And they have the right to do so – the country is one of the leading producers and exporters of it in the world!
In local supermarkets you can easily find decent wine for 5-6 euros. But in specialized wine stores it costs more expensive – from 7-8.
The key thing is to know what are the main wine regions of Spain! When buying red wine, first of all pay attention to the wines of the regions La Rioja and Castilla–La Mancha. A good white wine is produced, for example, in Rías Baixas, the same La Rioja, Castilla.
Another great souvenir from Spain is Catalan sparkling wine, known as cava. Cava can’t be called champagne, but in fact it is no worse. And today it can be rightfully considered one of the original attractions of Barcelona – no significant holiday can do without a bottle of cava here!
Strong Alcohol
In memory of Galicia, you can bring liqueurs. Orujo occupies an honorable place among them. Made on the basis of grapes, it has a transparent color and a fruity-floral aroma.
It, like other liqueurs, is often drunk as a digestif cold or with ice, but the taste is best revealed at 9-10 degrees. Coffee lovers will like the aromatic coffee liqueur of Galicia and connoisseurs of Jagermeister will be interested in trying the herbal Licor de hierbas or Aguardiente de hierbas. The cost of a good liqueur is from 3 to 8 euros.
It is impossible to do without sherry brandy (Brandy de Jerez) — a drink based on grapes and distilled wine aged in an oak barrel. Its production is concentrated only in the Jerez region. The production of sherry brandy has been carried out here for several centuries. The cost of a good brandy varies from 35 to 60 euros or more.
Sausage
In addition to jamon and wine, you can bring various types of sausages from Spain.
Chorizo is one of the most common meat delicacies in Spain. This is a dried sausage made of chopped pork mixed with spices and placed in a natural gut. Its main features: red color and sharp taste, which is given by smoked paprika pimentón. Chorizo is best made in Castile as well as Aragon.
Salchichón sausage, another popular meat dish from Spain, dates back to the time of the Greeks and Romans. It is made from lean pork meat and a small amount of lard mixed with salt, pepper, nutmeg, cloves and cilantro.
Pork salchichon is most often found, but sometimes boar meat can be used in its manufacture. The most delicious salchichon is made in Catalonia.
Lomo sausage can also be considered an original gift from Spain. In the preparation of this meat product, meat from the spine to the shoulder blades is used, there is almost no fat in it. There is also a more expensive version made from the ridge of the Iberian pig. The best lomo is made in Castile, such a sausage costs from 12 euros per kilogram.
Cheese
Cheeses from Spain are not as well known in the world as their French counterparts. But their quality does not raise questions. Aged, that is, hard varieties, as well as goat cheeses are especially popular.
The best representatives of hard goat cheeses are manchego from Castile-La Mancha and bodega from the Canary Islands.
Cheeses made from cow’s milk, with mold, soft cheeses are much less common in Spain. These include blue cheese cabrales and soft cheese torta del casar.
In supermarkets, prices for high-quality cheese start at 10 euros per kilogram.
Spices and Olive Oil
Spaniards love rich spicy seasonings. The most famous of them is saffron. It is also called the red gold of Spain. Saffron is added in the preparation of paella, chowder, rice dishes. Sometimes even in sweets to give them a golden color. It is believed that the best variety of saffron is grown in the La Mancha region.
There is sweet and spicy paprika in any dishes of original Spanish cuisine. The most famous variety is pimenton. Sometimes spicy pimenton is poured with olive oil, stirred and dipped in white bread — this is a very popular snack.
Another common product is olive oil, which is produced and consumed in Spain in huge quantities. Spain is one of the world leaders in the export of olive oil. The highest quality oil is Virgen Extra. The main production is concentrated in the south of Spain.
Inexpensive brands of olive oil can be bought in Spain at a price of 4-5 euros per liter. And, by the way, the Spaniards themselves most often buy oil with five-liter bottles.
Sweets
The most common and consumed desserts all year round in the European country include Tarta de Santiago and Brazo de Gitano.
If you are going to visit Madrid and Barcelona on the eve of Catholic Christmas, it is worth bringing New Year’s sweets from Spain. For example: turrón, alfajores or polvorones. They are sold from the beginning of November to the end of January, although they can be purchased in supermarkets at other times.
Turron has many varieties, at the heart of the delicacy: honey, egg white, almonds and sugar. The soft turron from Gijon resembles halva in consistency, the hard turron from Alicante is more like kozinaki with whole almonds. In addition to these types, there are chocolate, coconut, coffee and even truffle turrons.
Alfajores and polvorones are desserts from Andalusia, they are made from honey, hazelnuts, almonds and spices. These treats are similar to cookies, thanks to the crumbly structure they melt in the mouth.
Cosmetics
It is best to buy cosmetic products in Spain in specialized stores, not in markets. We advise you to pay attention to the cosmetics of the Spanish manufacturers Belnatur and Natura Bisse. Of the hair care products, there are many positive reviews from Kerastase shampoos and balms.
The products created on the basis of olive oil are very popular. An inexpensive but pleasant gift is olive soap.
In the Canary Islands, you can buy cosmetics based on aloe.
Clothing and Shoes
Spain is considered one of the best countries in Europe for shopping. Here you can find collections of world and local clothing manufacturers, both inexpensive and branded.
The lion’s share of inexpensive modern clothing brands: Zara, Bershka, Massimo Dutti — belongs to the Spanish giant Inditex. Women should also pay attention to the Desigual brand, it produces casual clothing, characterized by patchwork design and bright prints.
Many ladies like espardegnas – the national Spanish shoes with rope soles. They are comfortable to walk in even in hot weather. The cost of a pair is from 8-10 euros.
Another type of summer shoes is menorquinas or avarkas. They are flat-soled leather sandals. The cost of a pair is from 15 euros.
Tourists often bring such an accessory as women’s bags from Spain. Popular brands are Loewe, Bimba y Lola, Purificación Garcia. In small shops you can find local brands that belong to family companies. They are not so recognizable, but they differ in low cost and good quality.
