Think Spanish food, and you think paella, tortillas, tapas. And wine, of course. The local cuisine is heavily influenced by the local produce; spices like smoked paprika, saffron, turmeric; and a generous usage of olive oil. For travellers looking for a true taste of Madrid, the local supermarket is a great place to start.
We spoke to award-winning chef Diego Guerrero of two Michelin-starred restaurant DSTAgE in Madrid, to get his go-to picks at Spanish supermercados (supermarkets).
DSTAgE first opened doors in 2014. Pronounced as ‘the stage’, each show (service) here is like a performance, based on the ideology of playing with fewer ingredients, and practicing sustainability through zero waste food. The chef’s love for simple cooking extends right back to his own home, with salads and soups being his go-to comfort food. While he tries to eat clean on most days, his guilty pleasure is a Lindt chocolate truffle with a glass of red wine.
Chef Diego’s love for food began early on while watching his mother and grandmother cook traditional Basque-style meals in the family kitchen. He fondly recalls his childhood memories of growing up in Vitoria-Gasteiz in Basque Country, accompanying his mother on trips to the local butcher and fisherman and sipping on ‘flash’ (shiny tubes of colourful ice pop) in summer with his friends.
We asked chef Diego to share his supermarket favourites—go to pantry essentials, favourite snacks and desserts, and other knick-knacks he likes to pick—for our cheat sheet on the best food souvenirs to bring back from Madrid.
Chef Diego Guerrero on what supermarket snacks to pick in MadridBonilla chips
DSTAgE
Chef Diego finds himself reaching out for a bag of Bonilla chips whenever he’s picking up groceries at a supermarket. He recommends Bonilla as the brand uses premium quality olive oil. “I like having the chips as they are but when I’m in the mood for more, I like combining them with escabeche mussels (steamed mussels marinated in a tangy sauce made with extra virgin olive oil, vinegar, garlic, bay leaves, and smoked paprika) or with Espinaler, which is a very typical Catalonian dressing.”
Lindt chocolate truffles
DSTAgE
