Many traditional foods in Spain began with a simple need. People wanted to keep food longer or use old bread. Before people had fridges, fish and milk could quickly go bad.
Basque fishermen put salt on cod, a type of fish, and dried it for long journeys home. People with sheep made cheese from their milk. In southern Spain, people made cold soups with vegetables and old bread. They did not need to heat their homes to cook these meals.
Farmers and people with sheep also fried small pieces of old bread instead of throwing them away. In northern Spain, Italians introduced a way to keep small fish called anchovies in salt. People now enjoy these fish all year.
