After we got home from our market excursion today, I thought it'd be a fitting time to ask my señora about her shopping habits and generally how it's done in Spain. She told me that she goes shopping about 2-3 times a week, but that it changes depending on the season. For example, in the summer, fruit won't keep as long, so she has to buy it more often.
She always buys fruit from a frutería, fish from a pescadería, and meat from a carnecería, preferring to only go to the supermercado for cleaning supplies and such. When I asked her if she'd noticed food prices going up, she responded with, "¡Muchísimo!" and told me that it wasn't just food (in particular oil and meat) but also many other types of goods as well. I wish I knew more about food costs in the US so that I could have made a comparison, but I guess that's something I'll have to ask my grandma or mom about when I get home (yes, I realize that I sound like a spoiled child.)
When she goes shopping, she always has a general idea of what she wants to make, but the time she spends each day cooking really depends on the dish. Sometimes she says she can whip something together in five minutes, but more complicated dishes obviously take more time. When I asked what her favorite dish was, she said that she liked everything (which is great, because other than spicy foods, I'll eat anything as well) but that she particularly likes rice dishes and fish, which I could have guessed from what we've been eating for lunch these past few days.
I'm glad I had to chance to sit down with my señora, practice my Spanish, and learn more about Spanish culture, and I'm excited for more opportunities like this.
One of the many things I love about shopping in Spain is how "specialized" it is. Those who live in large cities in the U.S. have this option as well, but, for those of us in smaller towns, the opportunity to visit the pescadería, the carnicería & la frutería, unfortunately, is a foreign concept.
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