Perez Arellano, a celebrity chef, and others during the festival. PICs: Baher Amin/the peninsula
They come from the land of Pablo Ruiz Picasso and obviously their interest in art and culture is eminent. Having the influence of Barcelona, football is part of their culture. Spaniards are also friendly people, known for their relaxed lifestyle, cuisine, football and world-famous folklore and festivities.
At least 3,000 Spaniards reside in Qatar and work for different sectors. They tend to enjoy Qatar as their second home without missing home in Spain.
Football matches, social media, LaLiga at Sheraton Grand and networking events are some venues that Spaniards in Doha meet often.
Performances of Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra at Qatar National Library (QNL) is also a popular entertainment attraction for Spaniards.
Feeding their huger for football, there are at least two official football associations -- ‘Peña del Betis’ (from Sevilla) and ‘Peña del Atlético de Madrid’ (from Madrid). In Spain, football associations are called ‘Peña’.
Bringing the taste of Spanish cuisine more closer to Qatar, a four-day Spanish Extravaganza Festival was organized by the Spanish embassy in Doha. It celebrated the best of Spanish gastronomy and culture.
Music and dance performances entertained guests at the Spanish Extravaganza Festival.
A grand dinner marked the official opening of the Spanish Extravaganza Festival. A Spanish Michelin two-star dinner was hosted at W Doha Hotel in the presence of Ambassador of Spain to Qatar, Belén Alfaro; Commercial Attaché, Miguel Ángel Fajardo, and several other guests.
“Spanish food is often recognized as one of the top cuisines in the world, and some traditional Spanish dishes and recipes date hundreds of years. Spanish Extravaganza Festival is aimed at promoting Spanish cuisine and culture in Qatar,” said Alfaro, the new Spanish Ambassador.
“Spain exports agro exports to Qatar. The festival also showcases the quality of Spanish food products,” she added.
According to expatica.com "Food has become as integral to Spain as its rich and tumultuous history, with each region of Spain – once a collection of numerous, distinct kingdoms – boasting their own unique cuisines and flavours."
Each regional speciality in Spain is worth trying, and many of the top Spanish restaurants are known by the different regions they come from. In the main Spanish cities you can find Basque, Galician, Asturian and Valencian (paella) restaurants, to name but a few of the renowned regions for local food specialities.
A grand dinner marked the official opening of the Spanish Extravaganza Festival.
Four chefs were exclusively flown in to Doha for the Spanish Extravaganza Festival. Fernando Perez Arellano, a celebrity chef was one among the three presented at the Festival. He prepared and served the signature and traditional dishes during the event including delicious tapas. ‘All i pebre’ made with paprika spiced octopus and potato veloute, ‘The blackegg’ made with white onion and cuttlefish caviar’ and ‘The almond through the season’ were a treat for the guests taste buds.
Alvaro Fuentes, Daniel Lopez and Javier De Dios also showcased their exceptional culinary skills to treat the guests.
De Dios offered Spain’s most emblematic dish. There is nothing better than Valencian paella in the Spanish cruise, which De Dios offered at the Festival. The delicious ‘paella mixta de carney pescado’ was prepared with a mix of chicken, duck, beef, langoustines and clams paella.
Music is an integral part of Spanish life, it also took centre at the Spanish Extravaganza Festival. Music and dance performances soothed the guests throughout the festival.
