Spain is surrounded on three sides by water, so you should include plenty of seafood in your Spanish food repertoire. A great dish you should try is paella mariscos, which consists of rice mixed with seafood like prawns, mussels, and squid.

Garlic is an essential item in true Spanish food, but it does have a tendency to leave a lingering smell on your hands. To get the smell off, wash your hands in cold water (hot water seals in the smell). Then scrub them with a little salt and rinse carefully.

To easily get the skin off the dried garlic cloves used in many Spanish food dishes, you've got several options. A minute in the microwave on high will make the skin loose; so will popping it on a hot griddle for a minute, or soaking the cloves for two minutes in hot water.