The perfect Spanish omelette

Serves 4 as a meal, 8 as tapas.

300ml olive oil
1 medium onion, finely sliced
600g waxy potatoes such as Jersey Royals or Charlottes, peeled, halved and cut into thin slices (like thick crisps)
6 medium eggs, beaten
Salt and pepper
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1. Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium flame, add the onion and cook gently for 20 minutes until soft and brown. Rinse the potato slices under cold water and pat dry. Add the potato to the pan – if it seems overcrowded, you can cook them in a couple of batches. Cook until the vegetables are tender and on the point of falling apart, then drain well, keeping the oil for your next omelette.

2. Add the potato and onion to the beaten eggs, season well, and leave to stand for 10 minutes, or longer if you prefer a stronger onion flavour.

3. Put a smaller pan (about 22cm) over a medium heat and add the extra virgin olive oil. Turn to coat, and then, when hot, add the mixture – it should almost fill the pan. Cook until it comes away from the edge of the pan, and looks about two thirds set.

4. Place a plate, or a saucepan lid, over the pan, and invert it so the tortilla flips on to the plate. Slide it back in, tipping any liquid egg in with it. Cook until it is springy to the touch: be careful not to overcook it: it should still be moist in the middle, even if you prefer it cooked right through.

US now has more Spanish speakers than Spain – only Mexico has more

The United States is now the world’s second largest Spanish-speaking country after Mexico, according to a new study published by the prestigious Instituto Cervantes.

The report says there are 41 million native Spanish speakers in the US plus a further 11.6 million who are bilingual, mainly the children of Spanish-speaking immigrants. This puts the US ahead of Colombia (48 million) and Spain (46 million) and second only to Mexico (121 million).

Among the sources cited in the report is the US Census Office which estimates that the US will have 138 million Spanish speakers by 2050, making it the biggest Spanish-speaking nation on Earth, with Spanish the mother tongue of almost a third of its citizens.

By state the highest concentration is in the former Spanish colonies of the south and south-west, with New Mexico top at 47%, followed by California and Texas (both 38%) and Arizona (30%). Some 18% of New Yorkers speak Spanish while only 1.3% of West Virginians do. Perhaps surprisingly, more than 6% of Alaskans are Spanish speakers.

The report, El español, una lengua viva – Spanish, a living language – estimates that there are 559 million Spanish speakers worldwide, a figure that includes 470 million native speakers and those with some command of the language.

The Instituto Cervantes was established in 1991 to promote the Spanish language abroad and last year had more than 200,000 students registered on its courses. It estimates that 21 million people are currently studying Spanish and here, too, the US leads with 7.8 million learning the language, followed by Brazil and France.

The report adds that two-thirds of Spanish-linked GDP is generated in two areas: North America (US, Canada and Mexico) and the European Union.

Between them they account for 78% while Latin America only accounts for 22%. It calculates that altogether Spanish speakers contribute 9.2% of the world’s GDP.

The Index of Human Development ranks Spanish as the second most important language on earth, behind English but ahead of Mandarin. It is also the third most widely used language on the internet, although less than 8% of internet traffic is in Spanish. The report says that Spanish is the second most used language on Twitter in London and New York. It also comes second on Facebook, a long way behind English though well ahead of Portuguese, Facebook’s third language.

The soothing soup: Red bean soup with charred corn, feta and pumpkin seeds

When the skies are grey, this sweet and salty soup will hit the spot. Chuck in whatever spices you fancy – some chilli flakes would be good. Toasted sunflower seeds, almond flakes or even sesame seeds can always be used instead of the pumpkin seeds.

Serves 4
2 tbsp rapeseed oil
1 red onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tsp cumin seeds, crushed
2 tsp coriander seeds, crushed
1 tsp paprika
1 cinnamon stick
250g butternut squash
400g tin of chopped tomatoes
300g cooked red kidney beans
600ml vegetable or chicken stock (or water)

To garnish
1 sweetcorn cob (optional)
A handful of pumpkin seeds, toasted
100g feta cheese, crumbled
A handful of coriander, chopped

1 Heat the oil in a large casserole. Add the onion, garlic, cumin, coriander, paprika and cinnamon stick and cook on a medium heat for 5 minutes or until the onion and garlic start to caramelise a little.

2 Halve the squash, deseed and thinly slice. Add the squash to the casserole. Cover with the lid and cook on a medium heat for another 10 minutes or so, stirring from time to time.

3 If using sweetcorn, heat a griddle pan and grill the cob on all sides until charred. When cool enough to handle, slice the corn in two, stand each half vertically and slice off the kernels.

4 Add the tomatoes, beans, stock or water to the casserole and season to taste. Cover with the lid, season well and cook for another 15 minutes.

5 Make sure the squash is cooked through and blitz or leave chunky. Garnish with feta, sweetcorn, pumpkin seeds and torn coriander leaves.

What's so great about Spanish food?

The Spanish food tradition has varied ancestry, though most Spanish dishes have rather humble origins and are the result, over time, of ingredients put together by poor peasants, farmers or shepherd families; many times using leftovers, or at the very least products from their own farms and orchards.

So how come Spanish cuisine is so diverse? The answer is simple, and it's all related to history and location. First of all we must consider that being in central Europe Spain had great Roman and Greek influence; think only of olive oil and wine, then the Moorish influence in the Spanish cooking tradition produced marvels such as gazpacho and nougats and the Jewish gastronomic tradition contributed to the preparation of stews known as olla (pot).

However it was Christians who began with the tradition of one of Spain's most notorious and sought after products: Spanish ham, which is not only consumed as tapas in bars, but also accompanies many dishes. Unquestionably pork is par excellence the favorite Spanish meat: everything is used, nothing is wasted. However, the Spanish like to make use of all of the ingredients they can and often include a number of different meats in the same dish.

Of course there are many other meats served in Spanish tables including lamb, beef and chicken. But Spaniards are not exclusively carnivorous, there are many vegetarian stews and other dishes that are enjoyed from North to South, from East to West. Vegetables are grown throughout the country, and the varied climates and terrains in Spain mean that a variety of different vegetables are grown. As a result, the vegetable dishes in Spain tend to vary from place to place.

Along the way a new continent called America was discovered, which brought not only gold and precious gems, but something that would one day save the Old Continent from famine: potatoes, the main ingredient of Spanish tortilla, tomatoes, some pepper varieties and many other vegetables.

But what makes Spanish food so popular is the quality and variety of the ingredients used. For instance, it was the same Romans that imported rice to Spain, giving way to the creation of the Valencian paella and many other rice dishes. Since then, these dishes have come to form part of the typical, if not iconic, dishes of Spain and are a definite must for any travelers who are planning on visiting Spain and doing a bit of gastronomic tourism.

There is also a great variety of seafood, including fish, mollusc and crustaceans from the coast areas, which are used in the preparation of many delicious dishes. The fish industry in Spain is extremely important and forms part of the livelihood of many of the population. Furthermore, Spain is a country that is blessed with such a large and varied coastline, including the Bay of Biscay, the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. This gives rise to a whole manner of different species of fish and seafood being available for Spanish chefs. Therefore the range of Spanish seafood dishes is endless!

Many typical Spanish products have denomination of origin such as ham, cheese, fruit and vegetables, seafood and sausages. These are some of the most common ingredients found in Spanish cooking and can add a touch of Spain to any other dishes you may decide to make. However, many of them go well by themselves, and they make perfect tapas.

When it comes to sweet things, Spain has a very rich dessert tradition. On one hand it was also influenced by the Moors, and on the other many of them are centuries old creations from nun convents. If you have a sweet tooth we recommend you to sample some of the many deserts Spain has to offer.