Spanish Food

When coming to Spain, be ready for an incredible culinary experience. Spain has so much to offer in it's cuisine as each region of Spain has it's own local specialties. A menu in Andalucia would look entirely different than a menu in Galicia. The diet in Spain is much different than in the United States. I think it is safe to say it is much heathier as well.

Olive oil is used in most cooking and it is also a substitute for butter on bread. To be perfectly honest, Spaniards don't find many foods unworthy of a little olive oil to add some extra flavor. Olive oil is a staple of Spain and they pride themselves on having the best olive oil in the world. Any trip by bus or train to the countryside would give evidence to the many olive oil groves in Spain.

You can expect to find beans and legumes (garbanzo beans and lentils especially) in many Spanish dishes, especially soups. Another common dish is garbanzo beans and spinach which is often served as a tapa.

Another Spanish staple that is viewed with great pride is Jamon Serrano. Essentially, it is just smoked ham and is usually served on bread with olive oil. In most tapas bars the pig legs are actually hanging from the ceiling.

Great pride is also taken in the wine of Spain. Wine can be found at very reasonable prices. The region Rioja is typically a mark on quality as it is one of the better wine regions in Spain. You can get a nice bottle of wine from this region for less than 3 euro.

A major difference of Spanish meals is the time they're served. Lunch is typically served around 2:30 and dinner never begins earlier than 9:00. Tapas function both as an in-between-meal snack or a full mean in itself. On the weekends, many Spaniards go out for tapas as late as 11 at night before heading out to the bars. Breakfast is not an important meal in Spain. Most Spaniards have coffee and toast for breakfast at a bar (yes, bars double as cafes and restaurants during the daytime) on the way to work.