During my two-week journey to Spain, I made a lot of observations about different aspects within Spanish culture. The main aspect I chose to research more in depth was Spanish cuisine. I chose to research Spanish Cuisine because I wanted to push myself to try new things, and I felt as though if I chose this topic, I would be more likely to do so.
The first thing we did when we got to Madrid was sit down for a large, buffet style breakfast. Right off the bat I saw that bread and ham were the two most popular dishes on the buffet table. These two components were found at every single breakfast buffet we ate at throughout the entire trip. I also noticed a tomato paste that is used on toast. This was a new dish that I had never seen before this trip, but once I tried it, I found out how delicious it actually was.
While in Spain, I was very curious about what foods they were known for, or which ingredients were most found in their dishes. I decided to research this information and from close observations, I noticed a few ingredients were present at every meal we had. The most reoccurring item was ham. There was ham offered at every single meal. Another popular food in Spain is Chorizo. Chorizo is a spicy and smokey sausage. This food can be served at breakfast, lunch, and even dinner. From my research I found that almost all of the food in Spain is served at anytime of day. It’s not only served for a specific meal.
Spain’s eating habits differ very much from the United States eating habits. I noticed that everything in Spain seemed much more fresh and less processed. Especially at breakfast, there was always a wide variety of foods to choose from. Most, if not all of the food groups were included on the buffet table. Another difference I noticed was the timing of each meal. Breakfast is served normally, but lunch is not usually served until two o’clock in the afternoon. Lunch is also considered to be Spain’s biggest meal. They will usually begin with a salad, then have a main course, and finally end with some type of dessert. Our tour guide, Isabelle, made a funny comment saying that “your fork will be in one hand, and you’ll have a piece of bread in the other.” This meaning that bread is an essential for every meal. Dinner time is usually anywhere between nine and eleven o’clock at night. Dinner is also a much lighter affair, they usually just each tapas or pinchos, which are Spanish appetizers.
Personally, I loved the lifestyle of Spain. I think it’s completely different from the U.S.’s lifestyle, but in a good way. They seem to eat much healthier than we do in the U.S. and their portion sizes are about half in comparison. My biggest culture shock in Spain, was going out to a restaurant and realizing that water is not free, refills are not free, and often times beer is cheaper than water and soda. This bothered most people, but personally I think it’s a great thing because it teaches people not to over indulge. Not having endless refills on things like soda, taught me to enjoy my beverage, rather than gulping copious amounts down in a matter of seconds. This trip made me realize that I would one day like to live in a foreign country.
I also loved the food culture in Spain. Even though I felt like all we ate was red meat and carbs, which are two food types that are scorned in the US, the food was much healthier and more satisfying because it was so fresh and didn't have as many chemicals added. The eating schedule and social aspect of meals was also very refreshing, and a good way to connect with family and friends during the weekdays.
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Pilar Azmani
1/29/2015 01:05:33 am
I really agree with your comment about enjoying and appreciating a beverage. We tend to eat and drink very fast because we are rushing. They take time to really taste everything and enjoy the company of the people that they are with. You nailed it!