A start to the summer

After a week of class, we took a trip to two businesses that sell very Spanish products: cheese, jamón and wine. Unfortunately, the experience was far from authentic but a good lesson, nonetheless.

The Haciendas de España is an impressive group of businesses backed by deep-pocked investors hoping to cash in on the lure of artisanal products. What they lack in substance, they definitely make up for in style (right down to the posters of celebrity chef Sergi Arola endorsing their products). Visiting the farms was nice to see the sheep and buffalo even if they are not milked nor used for any purpose other than to show tourists the type of animal that provides the raw material for what is later sold in high-end specialty food markets. The Hacienda products are good but the façade of authenticity is slap in the face to the countless winemakers, ham producers and cheese makers who still maintain the traditional methods of their craft.

Even though the visit was not what we hoped for, the students maintained a positive attitude and appreciated it for what it was: a brief (and superficial) introduction to a rich tradition of food production in Spain.