Come on, guys. You know you’ve just been waiting for this one. Tacos, enchiladas, nachos, GALORE. Sike.
Y’all are loco. This is NOT Mexico.
One of the (sadly) most common misconceptions about Spanish food is that it is Mexican food. But don’t you worry – Spanish food is still scrumptious, and you know what – it’s actually not usually as fatty in the process. Sure, there’s your chorizo sausage and obsession with ham, but that’s as bad as it gets. Although, this is real evidence of what a good Spanish meal can do to you
Just couldn’t get enough of that dessert there.
Not only is the type of food different in Spain, but the manner in which people eat is different as well. Spanish tapas are common, and they are small plates of food (kind of like appetizers) that people generally eat with a nice beverage. The design of eating tapas actually echoes Spanish sentiment regarding food, friends, and conversation; much like other parts of Europe, the small bite-sized, sharable portions of tapas are, in theory, supposed to encourage conversation and good company, as diners are not as preoccupied by a full plate of food to finish in front of them. The origin of tapas may be a bit gross however; tapar literally means “to cover” in Spanish, and traditional tapas of simple bread and meat were used to “cover” eaters’ accompanying glass of sherry. Cover the glass, why, you ask? Oh, just from fruit flies. Don’t you just hate it when those little buggers get in your drink?!
While I’m probably going to break the Spanish Food Extravaganza post into two (stay tuned for next week), I feel I should also take the moment to introduce another Spanish staple: sangria! For you folks out there totally unfamiliar with this delicious fruity, legal delight (thank you, European alcohol laws), sangria is, simply enough, chilled red wine jazzed and razzletazzed with fruit – usually orange, lime, apple, and berries. Oh, and a dash of brandy. Or maybe, Sprite/7Up instead if you don’t want to go too crazy.
Sweltering Madrid afternoon? Yes, please.
I would love to go to Spain, and I think the food and Sangria are two of the biggest reasons! I liked learning about the origin of the word “tapas.” I had no idea, but that makes a lot of sense. Tapas are primarily what I associate with Spain, so I’m looking forward to your next post and learning about what other delicious delights Spain has to offer. I’m also curious about what a traditional Spanish meal is like. Do they have lots of formal courses like Italy, for example?
On a side note, there’s a tapas restaurant in Indianapolis that I love to go to when I’m home. But every time I say I’m going to a “tapas restaurant,” my dad thinks I said “topless restaurant.” He’s not very cultured! 🙂
I LOVE sangria. In Spain 😉 It is the best thing you can get over there, besides the hot chocolate. Spanish food is sooo delicious. I’m wondering, do you have favorites from different regions? I only ever visited Barcelona (for a week) but I was super impressed by the paella, the sagria, the tapas, the hot chocolate, the coffee, and the MARKETS. so pretty! This is a very refreshing blog topic, especially in the dead of winter! Very unique, very informative, and very fun! Keep it up!
Any other favorite spanish foods?