Authentic food – the quest part 2

 You always hear about France or Italy as food destinations, but I really don’t know what Spain did wrong in its destination marketing because they should also be a “must-visit” for food lovers.

I discovered that the heart of Spanish cooking is its rustic twist, and that their food is greatly influenced by the different Spanish regions.  Just like in Greece, the diversity and richness of the Spanish cuisine is reflected in the history of the country and its wide range of cultures.

First authentic food of Spain for me:  jamon!  There is ham everywhere! But Iberic ham being the star of all.  I was told the historical story behind the popularity of ham in Spain:  pork consumption fell under Muslim rule. For almost 800 years, the Iberian Peninsula was inhabited by the Taifa Kingdoms.  But not all natives converted to Islam, although they were generally obliged to convert to avoid heavy taxes and social stigma. From the 13th century onwards, the Inquisition began to persecute false converts. One way of publicly demonstrating “pure blood” to avoid persecution was to eat pork, as this was forbidden for both Jews and Muslims. Consequently, many Spanish homes hung hams in their windows to show that Christians lived there.  But whatever the history, ham is a staple and a must have. 

My other “must taste” staple foods I loved were, of course, the paella (not at all the same taste as what I had had as paella before coming to Spain), patata bravas (different versions involving chunks of fried potatoes), the famous croquetas de Jamon made with bechamel, the Spanish omelette (I had an amazing one with truffles), gazpacho, chorizo which is the other signature Spanish meat product after ham, and – of course - churros. When it comes to Churros, I learnt that one is meant to also drink whatever is left of the dip chocolate sauce once all the churros are eaten!  

And the way the Spanish eat is very much through tapas.  They love tapas so much that they made a verb out of it. "Vamos a tapear!" means “Let’s go eat tapas!”  And I happily “tapeared” my way from Barcelona to Santerder, stopping often in food markets which are the best places to taste in all, with the locals. 

All in all, after Greece and Spain, I think that I am definitely on my way to my gap year also being about tasting and indulging – and feeling great about it!