spanish cuisine

Spanish cuisine isn’t really something that people get really excited about- probably because there’s not much here that’s unique to the country and nothing is incredibly flavorful, but I actually love Spanish food.  I’ve eaten a greater variety of food in Spain this time, and I still can’t think of anything that I absolutely couldn’t eat.  There have certainly been some strange things, but for the most part, I really enjoy the food. 

For breakfast most days, I have a yogurt, a piece of fruit, and toast with a chocolate spread that I’m obsessed with called crema al cacao.  Overall, Spanish breakfast foods are pretty similar to what we eat: coffee or tea, cereals, toast, oatmeal…  They do eat lots of eggs, but they never really fix them for breakfast.  It’s also popular to have toast with jam or olive oil and tomato.  There’s a saying, similar to our “breakfast is the most important meal of the day,” that says “you should eat breakfast like a king, eat lunch like a prince, and eat dinner like a jester.”  Spaniards love to eat their breakfast peacefully and slowly before they start their day.

crema al cacao

ECA doesn’t have a cafeteria, so I bring lunch to school every day and take leftovers from things Pilar has made throughout the week.  I usually pack a yogurt or piece of fruit for a snack when my class goes to recess around 10:45.  I’ve tried a few different “snacky” foods from Día, and I can pretty much find a similar item to anything we have in the US.  We eat at 12:30, but we follow a very American schedule for the day.  Typically, Spaniards eat lunch around 2:00, but a lot of their eating schedule depends on what kind of work they do.  Some of my favorite lunches are any kind of puree or soup, tortilla, and a pulled pork/garbanzo/tomato sauce combination.  For sides, I sometimes have fruit, almost always have bread, and also have had applesauce, which Pilar makes from scratch every few weeks. 

When they say “eat dinner like a jester,” they still eat a lot for supper.  I always smile to myself when Pilar says “we’re just going to have a small supper tonight,” because it ends up being quite the spread.  We eat similar foods for lunch and supper.  I love salads that Pilar makes with romaine/spinach blends, fresh cheeses, dried fruits, and a mix of olive oil and balsamic vinegar for dressing.  Cheese in Spain is so good.  Any kind of meat that we have almost always has bones throughout, so it makes it hard to eat and there’s less actual meat to be enjoyed.  It also tends to have a lot of fat on it.  I’m definitely looking forward to eating a big piece of meat without bones/eyes/fat/other organs when I get home!  I also love paella and other rice/seafood dishes.  We eat our dinner with bread, crackers, applesauce, fruit, vegetables, potatoes… Similar sides to what we would have in the US, but everything is typically prepared in different ways.  Pilar knows that Mexican food and pizza are my favorites, so we’ve had fajitas and Domino’s a few times.  Domino’s is the only US pizza chain I’ve seen in Spain.  Spaniards eat dessert, but when they ask if you want dessert, they’re referring to a fruit or a yogurt.  Pilar usually does keep some sweets on hand, like cookies or biscocho (which is like quick bread).  We also had a few special "Holy Week" desserts, like arroz con leche (rice with milk- literally what it sounds like, but actually DELICIOUS) and torrijas, which is basically French Toast.  

a typical supper in our house

spanish tortilla

I haven’t eaten out much other then when I was traveling, but I do have a few “go-to” items that I know and that I like when I am at a restaurant.  Calamari sandwiches are really popular and a special “Madrileña” food, and they are delicious with a little bit of lemon juice over the top.  I love to order “papas a la brava,” which are round fried potatoes with a tomato sauce and a creamy mayonnaise sauce.  I also enjoy any kind of salmorejo (tenderloin), but it’s especially good “a la whiskey.”  In Barcelona, almost every restaurant included a tapa of pan con tomate or bread with olive oil and tomato with the meal.  When eating out, I don’t leave a tip because it’s included in the check, but it’s customary to at least round up, so if the bill is 8.40, you’d just leave 9 euros.  If the service was extra great, I’ll leave a little bit extra.  Also, if they bring bread and crackers to the table before the meal, it’s typically not free.  Granted, the “picos” will probably only cost a matter of cents, but they won’t keep bringing you baskets and baskets of free bread like Red Lobster.      

bocadillo de calamaris

salmorejo a la whiskey and a side of papas a la brava

Overall, meals in Spain are very relaxed, sociable, and lengthy.  Spaniards will spend several hours over the dinner table, and even longer if they’re out with friends or family.  I really love this part of Spanish culture- probably because it reminds me of eating supper at home with my family at the end of the day.