Food in Spain...

Food.  Something very important to think about when moving to a new country.  For example, I would never want to move to Germany because wiener schnitzel and sauerkraut just aren't my thing, however, like most people the idea of moving to Italy and dining on pizza and pasta every other meal sounds pretty decadent.  So where does that leave Spain…?

#1. First and foremost – Spanish food is NOT, I repeat, NOT the same as Mexican food   This is probably the most common misconception about food in Spain.  Lesson #1 – Spain ≠ Mexico.  (The math nerd is coming out!)  Here in Linares we have a few different supermarket chains, only 1 carries what you and I would consider ‘mexican’ food.   Thank you El Corte Inglés.  And to this day I have never actually seen a Spaniard take anything off the shelf in this section of the store.  So when you come visit, please don’t make the mistake of asking for a burrito and thinking it sounds “Spanish”.

Tortillas, Salsa, Beans, Chips.  All in one place.

#2.  The grocery stores here are small and that can only mean one thing.  They have less stuff.  True!  The lack of choices surprised me at first and can be frustrating at times, but I've actually come to appreciate it.  In America when I walk down the cereal aisle I feel overwhelmed with choices.  Same goes for the potato chip aisle, the canned soup aisle, the pasta and sauce aisle, the juice aisle, you get the idea…  Don’t get me wrong, we have choices, just not an overwhelming amount like we do back in the states.   It makes life simpler, and for someone like me, who is incredibly indecisive, it makes for a very short trip to the supermarket for once!  They don’t mess around with low-sugar, no-sugar, lo-carb, “light”, reduced fat, “baked”.  It’s actually kind-of refreshing… until I have a craving for some Lucky Charms, or Cinnamon Toast Crunch, or White Cheddar Cheez-Its...

At the biggest supermarket in Linares there are probably 30 varieties of cereal. 4 shelves which take up about 1/4 of an aisle.

#3. Meat.  For the most part all of the meat choices available in America are also available here: chicken, shrimp, steak, ground beef, turkey, etc… along with some interesting additions:  careta (pig’s face), criadillas (bull balls), rabo de toro (bull’s tail), morcilla (blood intestines).  We’ve come to conclude that the Spaniards eat just about every part of an animal.  On the positive side at least they’re not wasteful.  However I wouldn't exactly say I have a daring sense of adventure when it comes to food, which means I have to choose carefully when it comes to ordering a tapa.

A pig's face.  Seriously.  Right before it went on the grill.

Sausages & Chorizo galore.

#4.  Jamón.  Even though jamón is a meat it deserves its own mention here.  Jamón, or ham, is not the type of ham you’re probably thinking about – the sliced deli ham, or Honey Baked ham – no.  That is what we call jamón york here in spain.  Anyways, the typical jamón here is a dry-cured meat, similar to Italian prosciutto, but cured longer.  The way jamón is sold, by the leg, is quite unique.  If you want to buy some slices, they simply prop the leg on a machine and start cutting off thin slices.  I can’t mention jamón and not also mention the pungent aroma that surrounds this section of the grocery store.  Todd prefers to take it all in like a Spaniard while I walk through literally plugging my nose like a little girl afraid to jump off the diving board.

Todd is checking out the jamón. A whole leg costs anywhere from 60-80+ Euro!

 #5.  Bread.  I typically only buy sliced bread in America.  On an aisle where there’s about 50 different varieties.  Where the words wheat, fiber, whole grain and oats = acceptable.  (Is it just me or do you even feel guilty when you go to Subway and order any type of bread other than wheat or honey oat?)  Well, when you’re in Spain, you live like a Spaniard… so we’ve come to love and appreciate the European style baguette.  There is nothing better than a fresh out of the oven baguette.  It’s crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside, and sometimes if the wind blows a certain way you can catch the slightest whiff of donut-smell (weird I know), but delicious!  However, the life projection of a baguette is about 1 ½ days (2 days max), which equals about 4 trips to the grocery store per week!

Todd loves the baguette! 

#6.  Milk.  In America I have never once bought milk from a box.  Have you?   In Spain there is no other option.    Once the box of milk has been opened it goes into the fridge to keep it chilled, but it’s still strange to me that it can sit on the counter of a grocery store for who knows how long un-refrigerated.  What really makes me laugh is when I see someone buying a 6-pack of milk boxes.  They keep the extras in the pantry until one runs out and they need to restock.  Would you ever keep milk in your pantry in America?  No!

Semi-Desnatada = 2% milk.

#7.  Wine.  Americans and Spaniards do have one thing in common and that is that supermarkets in both places have an abundance of wine.  The wine aisles share a common resemblance:  bottle after bottle of red wine, white wine, rose… the only difference is that it’s much cheaper here and the quality is GOOD!  For 3 Euro you can buy a really decent bottle of wine (I’m not talking about Trader Joe’s quality).  Luckily my shopping motto is: cheaper = more!

Vino!

Coming soon… What Spaniards think of American food!