Today is my favorite topic. Food. You can always find delicious food wherever you visit; however, you must be willing to look. Every country-in my opinion- has three unique items that are special only to that particular country yet common all throughout the market. These three items are coffee, chocolate and ice cream! As common as these may seem, I encourage you to always try these three staple items (or create your own!) wherever the wind may take you. You will not be sorry, rather your pallet will be completely satisfied! This is all about Spanish cuisine. Hope you enjoy! :)
"The Spanish cuisine is an honest and non-pretentious cuisine that is loyal to its regions with their specialties and has remained rather uninfluenced by northern cousins. It is not known for it's elegance nor for its bakery/pastry goods but rather for its rustic approach to the Spanish passion of food. Besides the national dish - the cocido - and well known favourites such as Iberian ham, sherry, paella and sangria, tapas are most probably where the Spanish Cuisine excels. Spanish wine is finally gaining its due respect worldwide as well as Spanish cheese varieties.
Paella Marisco
Spanish explorers introduced the potato from South America in 1540 where it was enthusiastically cultivated long before it became popular in northern Europe and the rest of the world. Sir Walter Raleigh brought the potato to England in 1585 where it became the Irish staple. The French were skeptical of it until Paramentier began his potato campaign in 1771. Versatile and able to take on many guises from simple peasant fare to elaborate, it is THE staple in Spain.
Tortilla Espanol
The Spanish love their vegetables, almost as much as meat which takes first priority. Where steaming/boiling them is common in northern Europe and most of the western world, the typical preparation method here would be sautéing them lightly first then adding small amounts of water or caldo (broth) to keep them from scorching. Unfortunately, vegetables are still preferred the old fashioned way - very well done (overcooked according to French or Italian standards). All food is well salted.
Jamon
There are numerous food magazines on the Spanish market offering new influences not only on the menu theme, but also encouraging shorter cooking times, less salt and more modern (lower fat) methods. There ARE vegetarians in Spain, health shops (more in medium to larger towns and cities) as well as vegetarian magazines/books but it is not easy to find vegetable variety in restaurants.
Fruit &Vegetables
Restaurant offerings of vegetables are rather standard and often contain meat or ham. Typical of our seafood-bountiful area would be a few fried aubergine slices, grilled green pepper and green beans with ham with perhaps a seasonal vegetable such as zucchini added. Only the better restaurants offer a little more selection on the menu.
Spain is a wine drinking country and so it is served with meals or tapas and rarely drunk to excess. Those that don't feel like it, enjoy a natural bottled water instead. In fact, when the Spanish celebrate, wine or beer are just part of it and not the means to have a good time. The Spanish, like the Italians do not need alcohol to 'loosen up' and have fun - that comes naturally. It is interesting that when 'certain other cultures' celebrate for example New Years the main goal seems to be to start early and heavy almost in competition of each other to get as stupidly drunk as possible - then commiserate over it the next day about how much one drank.
Tapas: Olives, Ham, Cheese..
The Spanish can have a rip-roaring good time as the night progresses, but very rarely overdo it to drunkenness. Wine is paced, water is drunk without embarrassment and a hard alcohol such as brandy is something enjoyed after a meal. This is not to say that alcoholism does not exist in Spain, just that it is not dominant here.
Gazpacho
Interestingly, England has the highest per capita rate of alcoholism in Europe. The day begins and ends for many in the pub, or for the upper class - the club.
Hot Chocolate & Churros
The Spanish start their day or desayuno with a thick hot chocolate (pourable pudding consistency) with churros, a kind of pastry or coffee. For country labourers and workmen few hours later, at around 10 or 10:30 is the second breakfast (las onces) which may be sausages, eggs and bread. Around 12pm, tapas may be nibbled on with a little wine. The lunch or comida a bit late for most European standards and is often after 2pm. and is a substantial affair of two to three courses. La merienda is the late afternoon snack and la cena is usually between 9pm and 10pm and is lighter than the comida, but still may be of soup, fish, vegetables.
Cafe con Leche
The Spanish often forgo the cena at home and enjoy instead tapas at the local bar. Wine or water is drunk with most meals, but no one in Spain drinks coffee or tea WITH the meals. This is something strange that foreigners do here. Coffee is enjoyed as an expresso (café solo) after la cena or possibly after la comida or as a pick up anytime in between. A 'sombre' (shadow) is coffee with mostly hot milk, 'café con leche' (coffee with milk) is half and half, a 'cortado' (a short one) is with very little milk.
Horchata
In summer, one often orders however one likes it with a glass of ice. Or one orders one of the many summer coolers such as batido (a milkshake) granizado (a half frozen yet liquid lemon drink) or horchata (a milky-like delicious drink made from tiger-nuts or almonds) After sweetening, one pours it over the ice and enjoys it. The fan or 'abonico' is ever present in Spain as is time to relax a moment or watch the world go by before returning to the business of life.
As you can see, the Spanish enjoy their food, portions served are always generous and yet the Spanish are not known as a heavy weight folk in general. Perhaps it is the wine..."
I'm not going to touch on the wine today because we will have another post dedicated just to the wine, beer and sangria of Spain because it is so unique to that country!
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