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What to eat in Castile and León? Top 100 Castilian-Leonese Foods

Last update: Sun Apr 20 2025
Top 100 Castilian-Leonese Foods
TABLE OF CONTENTS

Best Castilian-Leonese Foods

01

Lamb Dish

CASTILE AND LEÓN, Spain
4.5
Cordero asado
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Cordero asado is a popular Castillan dish made by roasting a whole lamb over an open fire. The lamb is usually marinated with lemon, garlic, and various fresh herbs such as rosemary and thyme. Once it is properly cooked, cordero asado is typically accompanied by roasted potatoes and onions on the side.


The dish is especially popular during the Christmas season.

02

Jamón

PROVINCE OF SALAMANCA, Spain
4.5
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Guijuelo is a ham or a shoulder from pure-bred pigs of Ibérico breed made in the autonomous community of Extremadura. This ham has an exceptional ratio of sweet and savory flavors that are complemented by nutty and woody notes. It is a high-quality ham that melts in the mouth when thinly sliced.


When cut, this ham is bright pink to red with evenly distributed white to light yellow fat stripes. These hams are cured and dried for a minimum of 18 months and must weigh more than four kilos. Guijuelo shoulders are produced in the same way except they are dried and cured for 12 months and must weigh more than 3,5 kilos.

03

Lamb Dish

CASTILE AND LEÓN, Spain
4.4
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Lechazo is a Spanish dish consisting of a roasted suckling lamb. In order for the lamb to classify as lechazo, it must weigh between 5 and 7 kg and its age cannot be more than 20 to 30 days. The lamb must be fed only on its mother's milk, hence the name lechazo, derived from the word leche, meaning milk.


Today, numerous restaurants in Spain specialize in lechazo, where they roast the lambs in traditional wooden stoves known as hornos de leña.

MOST ICONIC Lechazo

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04

Cured Beef

PROVINCE OF LEÓN, Spain
4.4
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Cecina de León is a cured meat product made from beef sirloin, centre leg, round and stifle. It is traditionally produced in the province of León. The production, which includes salting, curing and drying, can last for more than seven months.


It is smoked using oak found in local forests which gives it a characteristic taste and aroma. This cured meat is a dark brown on the outside and deep dark red on the inside. Cecina de León has a characteristic beef flavor with smoky undertones and is very succulent and smooth in texture.

05

Cheese

POSADA DE VALDEÓN, Spain
4.3
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One of the great blues of Europe, this Spanish cheese is produced in the Picos de Europa Mountains, namely the valley of Valdeón. The smooth and creamy Valdeón blue cheese is made from either pure cow's milk or a combination of cow's, sheep's, and goat's milk.


It is matured for about 45-60 days and sold wrapped in sycamore maple or chestnut leaves. Although it has all the character of a blue and a very intense, piquant flavor, Valdeón's bite is not as strong as the one in most other blue cheeses.


It is best paired with sherry and young, fresh white wines, which offer a good counterpoint to Valdeón's richness and pungency.

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06

Cheese

PROVINCE OF ZAMORA, Spain
4.2
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Queso Zamorano is a cheese made from the milk of Churra and Castellana sheep breeds in the province of Zamora, in Castilla y León. It has a characteristic herringbone pattern imprinted on the top and bottom and a woven esparto grass (zigzag) pattern on the sides.


Depending on the weight of this cheese, its maturation period can range from 60 to 100 days. During this period, it is regularly turned and rubbed with olive oil, which causes the rind to become brown in color. Queso Zamorano has a full, piquant flavor with a delicate, tart aftertaste, and it's mostly consumed as a table cheese.

07

Blood Sausage

PROVINCE OF BURGOS, Spain
4.1
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Morcilla de Burgos are blood sausages that are traditionally made in the province of Burgos. This is one of the many varieties of blood sausage, or black pudding, present all around the world. The recipe for this delicacy is fairly simple and uses only a few humble ingredients.


An interesting fact about this recipe is that it doesn't actually involve any meat, since morcilla de Burgos is made by chopping and sautéing the onions with butter, then combining them with rice, lard, blood, and spices. The mixture is then used to fill the sausage casings before being cooked. 

MOST ICONIC Morcilla de Burgos

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08

Deep-fried Dessert

PROVINCE OF PALENCIA, Spain
4.0
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Leche frita is a delicious Spanish dessert consisting of a sweet, firm milk-pudding encased in a crunchy fried shell of eggs and flour. It is made with flour, cornstarch, sugar, milk, eggs, butter, and olive oil. The whole concoction is flavored with cinnamon.


Leche frita, meaning fried milk, can be served cold, at room temperature, or hot, ideally with a scoop of ice cream on the side. Although this old dessert has murky origins, it is believed that the first versions were made by nuns who used to sell these treats to help maintain their convents. 

MOST ICONIC Leche frita

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09
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Chorizo de Cantimpalos is a cured variety of sausage made with pork meat that's mixed with salt, pepper, and spices such as garlic and oregano. There are three varieties of this sausage, depending on the thickness; sarta, achorizado and cular.


Chorizo de Cantimpalos is dark red and dotted with white particles of fat. It is juicy and smooth in texture and has a very aromatic and mild flavor. The sausage is produced in the province of Segovia from local pig breeds. After casing, it is cured and smoked over low heat.

10

Pork Dish

CASTILE AND LEÓN, Spain
3.9
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MAIN INGREDIENTS

Cochinillo is a Spanish dish consisting of a roasted suckling pig with succulent meat, tender and crispy skin, and a very thin layer of fat. The meat is so tender that it practically falls apart when cooked properly. The dish is served throughout Spain, and it is especially popular in the region of Castilla.


The pigs should not be heavier than five kilograms nor older than three weeks, and they are traditionally roasted in large, open-faced brick ovens. One suckling pig can easily feed a party of four, and it is usually ordered in restaurants for birthdays and similar festive events.

MOST ICONIC Cochinillo

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11
Appetizer
PROVINCE OF SORIA, Spain
3.9
12
Appetizer
CASTILE AND LEÓN, Spain
3.7
13
14
Cheese
PROVINCE OF BURGOS, Spain
3.5
15
Savory Pie
SALAMANCA, Spain
3.3
16
17
Cake
SEGOVIA, Spain
3.1
18
19
Cheese
PROVINCE OF ÁVILA, Spain
n/a
20
Cheese
PROVINCE OF LEÓN, Spain
n/a
21
Cheese
OSEJA DE SAJAMBRE, Spain
n/a
22
23
24
Stew
BURGOS, Spain
n/a
25
Chicken Dish
PROVINCE OF VALLADOLID, Spain
n/a
26
27
Sausage
PROVINCE OF LEÓN, Spain
n/a
28
Cheese
AMBASMESTAS, Spain
n/a
29
Cheese
SAN MARTÍN DE TÁBARA, Spain
n/a
TABLE OF CONTENTS
TABLE OF CONTENTS

TasteAtlas food rankings are based on the ratings of the TasteAtlas audience, with a series of mechanisms that recognize real users and that ignore bot, nationalist or local patriotic ratings, and give additional value to the ratings of users that the system recognizes as knowledgeable. TasteAtlas Rankings should not be seen as the final global conclusion about food. Their purpose is to promote excellent local foods, instill pride in traditional dishes, and arouse curiosity about dishes you haven’t tried.

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Castilian-Leonese Food