When traveling, one of the most important things to do is to eat. Eat anything and everything you can to get a real sense of what the culture is like in that particular region of the world.
Especially if food is such a big part of their culture.
Spain, for example, seems to have a cultural need to feed their guests with such immense amounts of food. The most important part to remember is you must eat it all, as to not show disrespect to the cook.
Here are a few of the things that I've tried, that you may not want to miss:
1. Croquetas
2. Jamón
Yes, it is just ham. Yes, you can get it anywhere, but man, the prosciutto is amazing in Spain! It’s quite the common delicacy and you can order it in almost every meal. Jamón and queso bocadillo (sandwich), jamón in a croqueta, jamón and melon…even jamón in a cone, I kid you not! Jamón is life.
3. Fresh fruit
There’s something amazing about the way fruit tastes in Spain. I’m not sure what it is, but it’s probably due to the lack of pesticides on it.
“It’s sad because it’s true,” as my friend Casey has so eloquently said.
From mangoes to watermelon, any market will have some of the best tasting fruit in the world since they're mostly home-grown, and they’ll even have it cut up and in a cup ready to eat at an inexpensive price!
4. Patatas Bravas
And that is saying a lot since French fries are my weakness. These fried potatoes are cut into a triangle shape and topped with garlic aioli and a ketchup-like sauce that has no tomatoes at all. Most people keep that recipe a secret, but you may find a few on the interwebs!
5. Tuna salad
There are a few different ways this meal can be prepared, but the way my Spanish housemother made it was absolutely delicioso. It’s just tuna, hard-boiled eggs, carrots, potatoes, and the optional lettuce or tomatoes (my roommate got her with tomatoes because I don’t like them much). Mix all of these together and top it with mayonnaise, eat it with a dinner roll, and enjoy your meal!
6. Tortilla Española
This particular dish is just as easy to find as croquetas, and are good for any of the five meals you might have in one day in Spain. Made out of mostly potatoes and eggs, it's quite like eating cake-like omelet. Adding onions can add a little flavor, and sometimes you find it in bocadillos as well.
7. Paella
They say Valencia has the best paella in all of Spain, and so far, even those who are from outside the city agree with this statement as well. There are many different types of paellas, but the most popular ones have a variety of meats in this big rice dish. Pictured in the photo are snails, rabbit, chicken, and various veggies. However, if you aren't the adventurous type when it comes to food, you can simply have chicken or vegetarian style.
If there's only one thing you have a chance to eat in Spain, it's paella for sure.
Being a foodie...
Just be open to all of the types of food you can have in Spain. There are so many others and not enough on a short little list. The best part, is that the cities are fun enough to explore by walking so you can make room for all that food you'll get to eat!
