Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Spanish Cuisine - a Jewel of Spain

When I first arrived in Spain, I honestly had no idea what I would be eating for the next 6 weeks. I was quickly surprised, however, by how amazing the food really was. I immediately fell in love with things like Paella, Spanish Tortilla, Ensalada Rusa, croquetas, and, of course, tapas. I am planning to cook some of these foods for my family here in the States, like paella, tortilla, and ensalada rusa. Hopefully, they will be as good as I remember!

I also feel lucky to have taken the Spanish Cooking Course offered by the Universidad de Salamanca. We learned how to cook many traditional Spanish foods, like tortilla, sangria, gazpacho, torrijas, pisto manchego, and more. Those cooking classes were definitely a highlight of my time in Spain.
When choosing what to present on for my final project, I thought of many things that I had learned about Spanish food and some of the main differences between eating in Spain and in the United States. I considered the types of foods eaten, when people eat, how tapas works, and other things. I eventually decided to focus my research on Spanish Paella, which is, for many people, the "national dish" of Spain (even though it is actually a Valenciana dish). I learned about where Paella came from, how to eat it in the traditional manner, and about the different types, like seafood, mixed, and black paella. Overall, learning about paella was a great learning experience, especially because it's not a dish that can be easily found in the United States.


Overall, I'm really glad I signed up for the food Practicum because I learned a lot, whether it be about the production of Spanish cheese and wine, how meats are cured, or simply new Spanish words for things like the kitchen and ingredients. I hope to continue learning more and someday return to Spain to explore foods from other regions of Spain, not just Castilla y Leon!

1 comment:

  1. Patty - in your subsequent visits to the country, I am sure you will find a plethora of dishes that you love eating. Our time in Salamanca is just the "tip of the iceberg" regarding the culture and cuisine of Spain. Come back. Often. You will not be disappointed.

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