Laurence Dollimore
THE UK’s BBC has revealed its most popular shows in foreign countries.
In Spain, it isn’t Blue Planet or the Great British Bake Off that tops the list, but Rick Stein’s Mediterranean Escapes.
It turns out the Spaniards love his takes on their traditional food and look to him for inspiration on their cooking.
The series, the most watched BBC show in Spain, saw the British restaurateur tour the Mediterranean sampling and cooking local specialities.
His dishes included salt cod fritters inspired by his trip to Barcelona’s La Boqueria market, and Mallorcan-style chicken with sobrasada sausage.
His recipes appear to meet with Spaniards’ approval – the same of which cannot be said for Jamie Oliver, who caused outrage in 2016 when he shared a recipe for paella that combined chicken thighs and chorizo.
Critics called it ‘an abomination’ and ‘an insult not only to our gastronomy to our culture’.
Planet Earth II was most popular with the French, Germans and Danes, while Sherlock tops the ratings in Russia and the US.
