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Rick Stein’s SpainUsing his friend’s old campervan, Rick Stein climbs aboard to travel the length and breadth of Spain in search of a culinary duende – a flamenco term, implying a sense of soul, expression and authenticity.From Galicia, the Basque country and Catalonia to Castilla-La Mancha and Andalusia, Rick samples his way through the specialities and hidden treats of each region, including the famous Asturian fabada, a hearty bean stew; pintxos, delicious Basque tapas; the sweet and succulent prawns of Palamós in Catalonia and food influenced by the New World in the Antigua Abaceria of Seville.Along the way Rick savours the delights and atmosphere of the cider festival at Gijon, the snail festival in Lleida and a spectacular paella festival in Valencia, as well as observing the skills on display at vineyards, beach parties, garlic farms, secret Cabrales cheese caves and much more.”I’ve wanted to make a series in Spain for a long time.  I love Spanish food, I’ve been going there since I was a young boy – but until quite recently I don’t think people really took the food seriously.  French and Italian cooking was felt to have more finesse.  Thanks to a handful of really dedicated Spanish chefs and a growing enthusiasm for its rugged flavours, that has all begun to change.  No one cooks fish with more respect or grills meat better.To me the underlying point of journeying to Spain would be to discover the ‘duende’ in the cooking.  By that I mean a sense of soul, of authenticity.  The word is normally used for the soul of flamenco but I think it could be equally applied to the art of Spanish cooking because to my mind, in really good food, there is a communication between the cook and diner that amounts to art.”- Rick Stein_______________________________________________________________Programme 1 – Galicia, Andalusia, Asturias, Gijon and BasqueProgramme 2 – Rioja, Navarra, Catalonia, the Mediterranean and LleidaProgramme 3 – Catalonia, Valencia, Sueca and La ManchaProgramme 4 – Extremadura, Guadalupe, Seville and Granada