Having only been in Spain for just 2 days, I'm surprised by all of the unfamiliar foods I've already encountered. Prior to boarding the plane and making my seemingly endless journey to Salamanca, I was under the impression that Spanish food culture revolved primarily around seafood, being that the country is surrounded by water, and it appears that my presumption was correct - out of the three meals I've eaten here thus far, two of them have included seafood, and I'm all over that.
Back in the U.S. I've been following a pescatarian diet for just over a year and a half now, so I'm all about the seafood. I did make the decision, however, to allow myself to eat meat while I'm in Spain for these six short weeks in order to fully embrace and experience the culture. After our first Foodie's Guide to Spain class today, I'm pretty sure I made the right decision. The impression I have after leaving that class is that Spain is all about pork. Pork, pork, pork. I wasn't wrong in my assumption about seafood though; in fact, it looks like I'll have the opportunity to try a lot of things I'm not even familiar with!
Something that colored me quite pleased today was the generosity of our professor. It's our first day of class, and he took all of us out one of his favorite local spots and bought us all a drink and a "tapa" - thank you so much! I got a Tinto de Verano to drink, which is a combination of wine and lemon soda, and what I'm pretty sure was a Spanish tortilla covered in fresh vegetables. It was amazing, and just a start to my food journey!
Overall, I'm looking forward to strengthening my understanding of and experiencing local Spanish food. I have an open-mind, and, now that I'm on a hiatus from my pescatrian diet, I'm free to consume whatever it throws at me. As Andrew Zimmern says, "I believe the best way to experience a culture is through its food," something I plan to live by while here in Spain. We're all so fortunate to have this wonderful experience ahead of us, and I cannot wait to get the ball rolling! Spain, I'm hope you're ready for me... and my stomach (^_-)
I am so jealous!! What a way to travel....and What a Goal! Have Fun!
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Mom
Brandon - I'm glad you enjoyed the "tapita" today! It was the first of many "culinary excursions" we will make as a group. You are right about the pork and seafood. When we visit the market this week, be sure to check out all the fresh fish and remember that the closest Spanish port is over 5 hours away by truck. The product bought in that market will not have spent even 24 hours on land by the time we see it.
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