Let's Eat!

One of the best things about studying abroad here in Spain has definitely been the food. I’ve had no problems with the food here.  I think I’ve said “¡muy rica!” (very good/delicious!) after so many meals here that my host mom is starting to think I’m exaggerating for her benefit. No Manuela, I’m not trying to exaggerate, I just can’t believe how good this food is.

Of course, there are certain foods that I don’t appreciate as much as others (I’m looking at you croquetas), but I can’t be expected to like everything I try here (I definitely don’t expect that of myself in the U.S. so why should I here?). So I’d like to share with you (all), some of my favorite foods here in Spain, as well as a few dishes that I’ve only had the pleasure of eating once but would love to try again.

1. Pasta la nata: a.k.a Pasta carbonara. But the way my host mom makes it is so much better than any of the pasta carbonaras I’ve had in restaurants. 

2. Tortilla español: a.k.a. tortilla de patatas a.k.a eggs and potatoes. Though not in any way is this a tortilla by my southern California standards, the combination of eggs and potatoes is surprisingly addictive to eat. 

3. Fish: a.k.a I don’t know names of fish so this dish is called fish. I’m pretty sure my host mom just grabs one these fillets, fries it up with some olive oil and onions, and serves it to me on a plate. But somehow, every time I eat it, I can’t help but think she must have gone to culinary school to learn how to make this. It’s that good to me. 

4. Pincho Moruno: a.k.a kebabs. Maybe I’m just a big fan of chicken kababs in general, but having one of these in Spain was a very satisfying experience.

5. Rice, Egg, and Tomato Sauce: a.k.a rice, egg and tomato sauce. This is exactly what it looks like. I’ll be honest, the first time my host mom presented this to me, I looked at her kind of funny. Why would I want to eat plain white rice topped with this runny fried egg and weird tomato paste? It turned out to be delicious and is now one my favorite meals here.

6. Pan con tomate: a.k.a. bread and a mashed tomato spread. This is typically an appetizer that you can (thankfully for me) get at most restaurants).

7. Sopa: a.k.a soup. I’m normally not a big soup person but it may be because the days here are getting ridiculously cold, or because it’s just better in Spain, but the soup I’ve been served has always been great. And the kicker is that I’m pretty sure this is just canned soup. I don’t know, maybe the fun shapes make it better than the soup I’ve had in the states. 

8. Tomato Purée: a.k.a really, really thick tomato soup. This dish is so thick in fact, I can only really eat one ladleful (and not the three that my host mom drives to give me). It’s best when you eat it with bread.

9. Bread: a.k.a manna from heaven. Don’t go to Europe thinking you’re going to stick to whatever diet you started in the U.S. Literally every meal I have is accompanied with bread. And it’s good bread too. Basically I tell myself at the beginning at every meal that I will skip my piece of bread for the meal, but literally thirty seconds later, after I’m offered the basket, I tell myself I’ll skip the bread tomorrow. 

10. Paella: a.k.a rice and different meats/seafood. Paella is probably the most well-known Spanish food and there’s a reason for it. It’s really good. You have a mix of seafood, meat, and rice that somehow goes really well together. 

11. Tinto de Verano: a.k.a the best drink ever invented in the history of culinary arts. Though not a food, Tinto de Verano, hands down, my drink of choice whenever my friends and I eat out somewhere. It’s so simple to make too, just a bit of red wine mixed with sparkling lemonade, seltzer water or both (depending on the restaurant). Ridiculously tasty.