“A beber y a tragar, que el mundo se va a acabar”
The Spanish proverb above loosely translates to: “Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die.” This saying more or less summarizes the Andalusian attitude toward comida y cocktails: Here, food is something to be cherished, not an inconvenience that is relegated to breaks between classes or time behind the steering wheel, and certainly not something that people deprive themselves of in order to lose weight.
The first few mornings here left me feeling as though my stomach were gnawing on itself. Clearly, I had difficulty adjusting to the common Spanish breakfast known as café con leche y tostadas. As someone accustomed to an enormous first meal – replete with an omelet, a glass of milk, and fruit on the side – I needed a little time to acclimate to this new style of eating.
Make no mistake: Spaniards are not stingy with their portions. The lunches served by my host mother are much larger than those to which I had grown accustomed in the United States. Lentils and meat abound in every dish, and I have my own personal breadbasket at every meal. Dinner is a bit smaller, and sometimes comes with a pudding or a healthy dessert of fresh fruit. Aside from this, produce is considerably scarcer in Spanish cuisine than in American fare. (On a side note, I miss drinking milk – I haven’t witnessed anyone here consuming a glass of milk, with or without a meal.)
Surprisingly, I did not find it particularly hard to adjust to the later meal times for which Spain is notorious. In my host family’s household, I am served lunch at 1:45 and dinner at 7:40. Granted, these times are a bit early by Spanish standards, but I oftentimes find that I am not hungry by dinnertime. I could easily wait until 10 or 11, which is a far cry from my typical American dinnertime of 6 or 7.
Most of the time, I eat in my host family’s house, though I sit at the table alone while my host mother does chores. Had I based my judgments solely on the hordes of people that gather to dine each evening at Triana’s restaurants, I may have thought this strange. However, through comparisons with friends, I have arrived at the conclusion that this distraction factor is not entirely atypical of an Andalusian routine: While families usually eat together, they oftentimes do so in front of the television. Still, I would be mortified if my host mother caught me texting at the table – a great deal of care goes into the preparation of each meal, and to give it anything less than my full attention would be an insult.
Spain is famous for its tapas. One would never guess that these sophisticated appetizers originated as slices of bread, meant to cover drinks so insects couldn’t get inside. As a group, we frequently forgo dinner and order several of these dishes to share. The most interesting tapa I’ve had here is tortilla de camarones, a classic shrimp fritter that is popular in Cádiz. The food itself was delicious, but once I realized that the black specks were not spices – rather, they were shrimp eyes – I had to actively avoid looking at the tortilla as I consumed it. I also want to make it a point to try caracoles (snails, a local specialty) before I leave. So many culinary adventures to be had, and in so little time…
