Dear travelers, here you have some
suggestions on Spanish food issues: Meals and dishes.
Notice you will find local specialties and
test them!! Cuisine is a part of the culture, so be adventurous and enjoy it!
MEALS:
Breakfast: is small in Spain. Better
said, just coffee - sometimes with a roll - is quite a usual breakfast.
Then we have “el pincho” or “el café” –
like an early lunch. This is when we have something to eat. It usually takes
people out of their offices from 11 to 12… so this it the time when you have
the longest lines in the banks, etc...!
Comida: late big lunch: we
usually have a great meal around 2 – 3 pm. We have 2 courses and dessert.
MENU: is what we call “Plate of the day”, it is usually a great
option: freshest food, 2 courses and dessert/coffee and sometimes also the
drink for 10-15 Euros.
Cena: our dinnertime: at home, it is
usually small: one dish often with salad/dairy. But when eating outside it is
as big as Comida (lunch). It is usually a bit more expensive than Comida too.
Tapas: We call so to different appetizers we use
to combine and share in a meal. It helps you to try different foods. Tapa means
literally “lid”, coming from the Medieval Times, when they used to serve slices
of ham/cheese/bread etc on top of the wine carafe. Tapas are great as they are
cheap and small. So is a good way to try different food.
LA CUENTA: Please ask for the bill as soon as you get served the last
thing you ordered. It takes forever to get
bills!! This system will allow you to leave as soon as you finish. If not, you
will be waiting a long time!
FOOD YOU SHOULD TRY, FROM ALL OVER SPAIN:
Jamón Serrano: One of the most famous
Spanish specialties. It is pork cured ham. It has to be from Iberian Black Pork
– not from the pink pig. Then of course you have different qualities:
Blanco: Not the real one. This is done from
pink pig fed with bad fodder.
Ibérico: it means it is from the Iberian
Black Pork: less fat, healthier.
Bellota: The best: It is Ibérico but the
pork is fed naturally only with acorn.
Olive oil: You will find it best
in Mediterranean Coast and South Spain. The pure juice press in cold is called:
Extra Virgen. Other qualities are lower, not really so good - and Orujo is
really bad.
Olive oil varies from transparent gold to
cloudy green. It is naturally bitter and the acidity decreases with
transparency and yellow. We love thick cloudy green one – really thick, and
really bitter.
Gazpacho: This cold tomato and
garlic soup is only to be found in Mediterranean and South Spain area, and only
in summer. Much of the gazpacho you will find will be done with the “tomato
concentrated” can, so ask if they have the "real" one…
and of course, we have to present one of our most
favorite sweet proposals:
Chocolate con churros: This is hot chocolate to
dip churros inside. Churro is a
fritter: a long dough fried and covered with sugar. Do not worry, you will
loose the calories with the walking!
