Hello from Haley.
I didn’t expect the “Food From [Country]” blog posts to be a thing. I didn’t expect you to like it as much as you did. So, after considerable hesitation, I’ve decided to do this again. I say “hesitation” because Spanish food is very, very, VERY outside of my comfort zone. Spanish food consists of ham, seafood, eggs, and onions. All of which I do not eat, ever. Which brings me to my next point.
This food post will be different than the last because trying new food in Mexico was very different than trying new food here. In Mexico, the food was only slightly different than the food I’ve had before. Here in Spain the food is completely new for me. Shellfish in rice? Hard, rubbery ham leg with the hoof still on it? Eggs, potatoes and onions in a cake form for breakfast? I’ve never even heard of any of this! So, please forgive me when I say that this post will not be about traditional food in Spain, rather, it will be about the food that I’ve encountered in Spain, Spanish or not.
Tapas
Tapas are little appetizer-sized dishes that Spaniards have with their 2-5 PM coffee. They originated as sort of menu system for bars along the roads in early times. Not a lot of bartenders could write at the time, and not a lot of travelers could read at the time, so they had ‘tapas’ lined up alongside the road, and the travelers would sample them and order accordingly. They get their name from the bread and meat slices southern Spaniards would cover their sherry with in order to keep fruit flies out. The word is derived from the word tapar, meaning ‘to cover’ in Spanish. They are no longer used for that purpose, but that definitely does not mean tapas have died out. No, quite the opposite. They’re everywhere. There are cafes with a bajillion different types of tapas on every corner of Spain, and we’ve been to many of ’em. Here are some of the tapas we’ve tried:
Tea
Since arriving in Spain, I have been exposed to more tea than I ever have in my entire life. There are a lot of British expats here which means that the stores are chock full of tea. I’ve become hooked. I always saw tea as a weird-tasting drink that burns your mouth because it’s so hot. I never really understood it’s purpose. Now I do. And I have 2-4 cups a day.
Everything Else
Now, I’ll just share with you some of the things we’ve had here, Spanish or not.
To put it nicely, Spain’s food is new and interesting. Did I like any of it? Not really. Did I enjoy trying all the weird and wacky new food? Absolutely! Would I do it again? Now that I’ve checked it off my to-do list, probably not. But that doesn’t mean I’m not going to try anything else! Stay tuned for more food posts from all around!
Haley, signing off.