Eating in Spain
What do the Spanish eat in the morning, at noon and in the evening?
Breakfast in Spain is called Desayuno. But the Spaniards don’t eat much in the morning. And what they eat in the morning is rather sweet: a piece of pastry or a few cookies. In Andalusia, people also like toasted toast with a little olive oil. Adults drink a coffee with it, children a glass of milk or cocoa.
Many Spaniards also like churros with hot chocolate. Churros are elongated donuts, so they are fried in fat. You can also get them from stalls on the street. They are also gladly served on special holidays, for example New Years.
Lunch and dinner are hot meals. Lunch is called Comida or Almuerzo. The dinner is called cena. Both are taken later than ours, lunch between 1.30 p.m. and 3.30 p.m., dinner from 9 p.m. Some families don’t start until 10 p.m. Usually there are two courses, followed by the postre, the dessert.
Tapas
In between, Spaniards like tapas. We also have a few restaurants that specialize in this. In Spain, however, they are actually eaten between meals or as a snack with a drink and not as a main course. Tapas include olives, salted almonds, mussels, serrano ham, dates in bacon or small potatoes in garlic mayonnaise. The Spaniards also love sunflower seeds as a small snack. We know it more as birdseed.
Stew, tortilla and paella
Typical Spanish dishes are stews, and fish and meat are also popular. Many dishes are actually regional dishes, that is, they come from Galicia, Andalusia or Catalonia. All over Spain, however, the tortilla (spoken: tortilja) is known, an omelette made from eggs and potatoes.
Paella (spoken: Pa-elja) originally comes from Valencia. But it is now regarded as the Spanish national dish and is available across the country. They are mainly eaten at lunchtime. Paella is a rice dish that is cooked in a large shallow pan. In traditional preparation, the rice is colored yellow with saffron. The rice is accompanied by pieces of meat (chicken, pork, rabbit) and vegetables in the form of tomatoes, peppers and beans. Nowadays, seafood (mussels, prawns) are often added to it.
Gazpacho soup
Gazpacho comes from Andalusia. It is a cold soup. Tomatoes, cucumber, peppers and soaked white bread are pureed for it. Should that taste good? Definitely! Gazpacho tastes particularly good on hot summer days. You can find a recipe for gazpacho in the participation tip !
Well then, bon appetit – or in Spanish: Buen provecho!
Christmas in Spain
According to babyinger, Christmas is called Navidad in Spanish. The streets are decorated with fairy lights, just like ours. The holidays start with Christmas Eve (Nochebuena). You eat with your family. The turrón, a dessert made from almonds, honey and sugar, should n’t be missing.
The urn of fate
After dinner, the urn of fate comes on the table. This is a small vessel in which there are gifts, but also rivets. Now everyone has to reach into the urn until they have drawn a present. Traditionally, mass is then attended at midnight. On Christmas Day, December 25th, they also eat together. Most Spanish children don’t get their actual Christmas presents until January 6th! Feliz Navidad – Merry Christmas!
Gifts on Epiphany
The arrival of the three kings will be celebrated on January 5th. In the evenings, the children put bread and water for them and their camels in front of the door. For this they will get presents on the morning of January 6th. Naughty children only get a piece of coal… The meal ends with a Roscón de Reyes, the epiphany cake. A figure and a bean are hidden in it. Whoever finds the figure will be king of the day. If you find the bean, you have to pay the roscón.
Who is sitting in the crib?
Traditionally, the Spaniards do not put up a Christmas tree, but a nativity scene. However, there are more and more Spanish families who also have a Christmas tree. A caganer is often found in the cribs. This is actually a Catalan tradition, but it is spreading more and more across the country. The caganer is a figure with his pants down. He relieves himself in a corner during the birth of Jesus… Nowadays the figure often resembles well-known politicians or athletes…
New Years Eve in Spain
The Spaniards welcome the New Year at midnight on New Year’s Eve. They eat 12 grapes, one for each stroke of the clock at noon. That should bring good luck for the new year. On New Year’s morning, churros are eaten with hot chocolate.