The Food of Spain

I anticipated a huge struggle to find food that I would enjoy in Spain, but the struggle hasn't been that bad! Virginia is constantly preparing me delicious (usually vegetarian :) ) dishes that although are probably drenched in olive oil, are absolutely delicious.

I won't tell you about the plain, simple meals that I've been eating (because I mention them in every post), but rather what normal Spaniards eat!

HAM = LIFE. Walk down the street and sneak a peak into any restaurant or cafe and you'll see ham hanging on the walls, above the counters, everywhere. It really grossed me out at the beginning of the trip, but now I'm starting to get used to it...just kidding, it's still gross.

Seafood: another thing I'm not a fan of. They love it here, considering they live not too far from the ocean! Paella (a rice dish with seafood) is a staple food for Spaniards. When I was in Cadiz and we went to the market there was an abundance of fresh fish just laying on the tables! I struggled to deal with the sight of the fish just sitting there and the smell of the entire market! I am such a baby when it comes to fish markets, I really can't stand them!

Olive Oil: This is one of the few things I'm a huge fan of here. These Spaniards love their olive oil. They put it on just about everything! I'm a huge fan of just putting it on toast in the morning for breakfast. Since they don't have bagels and cream cheese here, I've decided toast and olive oil will be my substitute breakfast for the next few months! Other than on bread, Virginia likes to cook all vegetables, meat, and more in olive oil, she also puts it on salad! I'm not complaining, this stuff is great.

Wine: It's fabulous here. Need I say more?

Coffee: STRONG. Also, in my post yesterday I mentioned getting a chai tea latte and it coming with a piece of chocolate. Well, today I went to a different cafe, ordered a latte and it also came with a piece of chocolate. Then I read the packaging of the chocolate and it said that I should put let the chocolate melt inside my drink! I guess that's a thing here, and I'm a fan of it. 

Bread: Considering bread is one of my main food groups, along side fruit and chocolate. I'll have to say that I love their obsession with bread! Virginia always has bread accompanying every meal and it's always around the house throughout the day. This is slightly dangerous considering I'm obsessed with bread. It's a problem.

Oranges: Yes, they're on all the trees around but I can't eat those! However, we always eat oranges here! They are THE BEST oranges I have had in my entire life. We eat them after every meal for dessert, I think it's tradition. A funny thing is that they don't peel them with their hands, they use a knife to cut off the rind! Francisco was teaching me the correct way to eat an orange yesterday, he was very insistent that I do it a certain way! 

FOOD FOOD FOOD. YUM. 

Sending Smiles from Sevilla,

Rebecca

So of course, I'll leave you with some food pictures from the day.

Cafe con leche with a little piece of chocolate to mix in!

Dinner: Sautéed broccoli with olive oil and garlic, more spaghetti, some soup, bread and cheese!