Introduction   A taste of Africa: South London   British food: Borough Market   Chinese delicacies: Chinatown in Soho   Indian curry: all over the city   Latin American flavours: South London   Lebanese treats: Edgware Road   Spanish cuisine: West London		Spanish cuisine in West London By Javier Rincon, Online Marketing Co-ordinator, bbcmundo.com In 1936, when the Spanish Civil War began, there was already a Spanish community living in London. During that time, many Spanish refugees and political exiles settled in the west of the city, in the areas of Portobello Road and Notting Hill, Ladbroke Grove, Bayswater and Queensway. Today, however, the Spanish community is scattered throughout London. Old Brompton Road, Earl's Court, Putney and Brixton, for example, have a number of residents as well as restaurants. Notting Hill The Spanish School on Portobello Road - Instituto Español Cañada Blanch - offers bilingual education. Founded in Greenwich in 1972, it moved to Notting Hill in 1982. The institute is housed within a historic convent – along with three other Spanish institutions, including a kindergarten and a group that organises courses in Spanish culture and language. Portobello Road also has a variety of outstanding Spanish shops that trade in quality products – some will take Spaniards right back to their own childhood. One shop has a large selection of cold meats, known as embutidos, as well as manchego cheeses. Another sells an enormous variety of tinned foods – sardines, anchovies and fried tomatoes. Some of its fresh products are iconic in Spain: chorizo or spicy sausage, morcilla or black pudding sausage, jamon serrano or dry-cured ham, queso de burgos, a fresh creamy cheese, and pipas, sunflower seeds. Tapas A wide variety of tapas or starters are readily available in London's many restaurants, such as patatas bravas or spicy potatoes, gambas al ajillo or prawns fried in olive oil and garlic, pimientos rellenos con carne o mariscos - i.e. peppers stuffed with seafood or meat - and the famous tortilla española. Most restaurants serve tortillas but to find the perfect one can be quite tricky. The classic tortilla is made out of fried potatoes and eggs; onions are optional. Different regions in Spain will make their own kind, resulting in many varieties, such as the tortilla preñada which can have potato, ham, chorizo, green peas, and small slices of red and green peppers. Combine tortillas with red or white wine. There are some very good ones to choose from, in particular from the regions of Rioja, Catalonia and Galicia. Recommended rice dishes London also offers a huge selection of rice dishes including paella and arroz con bogabante - rice with lobster. The rice is cooked with a lobster that has been hacked into two and seasoned with white wine, saffron, onion, garlic and parsley. This recipe is usually served in an individual paellera or paella dish, which can also have pieces of octopus, prawn, squid, and vegetables. Another delicious option is arroz negro, black rice. The cooking process is similar to the previous one but the rice has been cooked with the squid's own ink - which will turn your mouth and tongue black for a short while. Other dishes A broad variety of Spanish regional specialities can be found in London; restaurants therefore tend to specialise in one region or another. One of the dishes is ensaladilla rusa, a potato salad with boiled egg, peas, peppers and olives. Another is garlic soup. Yet another is the bandeja de centolla, a tray with cooked King crab, langoustines and other seafood delicacies – accompanied with a vinaigrette sauce. For meat eaters wanting to sample a typical dish from Castilla try lechazo al horno - baby lamb, roasted in a wood oven. It's a dish that Spaniards tend to enjoy in winter. Address: Portobello Road. Westbourne Grove. London W2, W10, W11. Tube: Westbourne Park/Notting Hill Gate/ Ladbroke Grove/Bayswater. Related links: BBC Mundo BBC site LDN: Spanish and Latin American London La Noria: London’s magazine on Spain (in Spanish)

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