Last night I had my first "tapas hopping" experience and it was amazing!! The first place's specialty was cochinillo asado, so of course I had to try that. And it was delicious! The pork was so tender and the skin was flavorful and crunchy. In the spirit of España, I had sangria to go with it. At the first place I also had the opportunity to try patatas con alioli sauce. The alioli sauce was creamy and the perfect combo of olive oil and garlic. I hope I have the opportunity to try a homemade alioli sauce while I'm here!
At the second place, I decided to try sheep cheese. I thought it would be similar to goat cheese, but it was harder. I loved that too!! This time I had a tinto de verano to drink. This combination of red wine and sparkling lemonade is so refreshing and it's obvious why it's a summer drink. Tinto de verano was my favorite drink of the night.
At the third place I finally go to try jamón ibérico! Since Spain is famous for jamón ibérico, as soon as I saw it on the menu I knew I had to try it. It is similar to prosciutto, only thicker and with a stronger ham flavor (at least that's what I thought).
The jamón ibérico and the patatas con alioli sauce tied for my favorite tapas of the night!! I don't think it's possible to name a least favorite. I would definitely order all of these dishes again (and probably will!). The next time I go out for tapas I definitely want to try more seafood. I love seafood and I'm excited to taste the different varieties that Spain has to offer!
Sarah - you are absolutely right about the flavor of the jamón vs. prosciutto. The main reason being that the ham in Spain is cured for much, much longer (prosciutto from anywhere between 9 - 24 months while an ibérico is cured between 14-36 months). The longer process means a more complex and intense flavor.
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