The Food in Spain

Before coming to Spain, I was really excited for the food. All I had heard about was how absolutely incredible the food is here and the tapas are the best in the world. While I have found certain food items I do like in Spain, I find everything is dripping in olive oil. Even if it is not visible, after touching most food, your fingers feel as though you have just put your hand in a bottle of oil after putting the food down. Coming from someone who uses very little olive oil or butter on my food, this causes everything to take on the flavor of the olive oil; it is literally all I can taste. I feel terrible for thinking this, but at times I believe the reason why Americans are thought to only eat hamburgers and pizza is because it is the only dry food I have been able to find here.

However my host mother, Maria, makes great food every night for me. During an interview where I asked her about her grocery and cooking habits, she explained that she usually shops at a supermarket close to her house, either Mercadona or El Corte Inglés, and she usually shops three times a week. Maria says normally in the morning, she will prepare a list of the food that she needs for the house and for dinners for the next few days. 

Two of Maria's favorite grocery shops

Here in Granada we eat dinner very late, usually around 9:00 or 9:30pm. Maria usually starts preparing dinner around 8:30pm. In Michigan, for my family, preparing the meal is part of dinner. Everyone drinks some wine and talks about their day while helping my mom and dad cook in the kitchen. On the weekend, it is not unusual for my family to have a dinner preparing all day, with the smell of delicious food filling the house from noon until we eat. Here, Maria cooks fast and her daughter comes to get me when the food is ready. It seems more like a business and less like an event.

Last night's dinner cooking

Our dinner table

Some similarities Maria and I have is we both learn to cook for our mothers. My mother, being Italian, makes absolutely the best food ever. She has taught me how to cook meatballs, lasagna, veal parmesan, and other Italian dishes. 

Meatballs I made for my boyfriend before before coming to Spain!

I made them here for my house family this past Friday night, but forgot to take a picture.

Maria learned to cook her favorite dish, Paella, from her mother as well. Paella is an authentic dish of Spain made with rice, chicken, prawns, and vegetables.

Paella

I have also noticed egg is huge here. Many nights we have something called tortilla. When I first came to Spain and was asked if I liked tortilla, I of course said yes. In my mind I was thinking of the little plastic dish that you get at a Tex-Mex restaurant when you order fajitas that is filled with warm, flour tortillas. Wrong. Here a tortilla is an omelet, usually filled with potato or spinach, that we eat for dinner!

While the food in Spain is good, I also miss the diversity of restaurants in America. I find myself craving something different. I miss being able to have a sit down dinner of Sushi, Mexican, Chinese, and an awesome burger all in one week. Here, restaurants serve many of the same dishes, (tortilla, fish, Paella) with other cuisines only providing take out or late night "after-bar" food.

I am in disbelief that we only have a week left here, however one thing I am looking forward to when I get home is the food.