Spanish Food
From the rich, hearty stews of the north to the fresh seafood and paellas of the coast, every region of Spain has its own unique flavor profile and cooking traditions.
I will skip some of the dishes that everyone knows and jump into what I have seen in my daily life.
This was one of the first things I had when I first arrived. As soon as I dug my teeth into one, I knew that I was going to have a great time in Spain.
Fresh squeezed orange juice is always a great refresher during the hot Spanish days. That's why it's almost in every grocery store. They range from being really sour to really sweet, but the best are definitely the ones that are in the middle.
The abundance of fresh fruits in Spain with huge variety is impressive. Many of them are naturally grown and ripen. One bite tells you all the difference!
Noticed the white cube on top right of the picture? The first time I saw it I assumed it was soap. Turns out, it's a block of pig fat! It is used for cooking all sorts of dishes. As an American, I felt nothing but amazement and interest as I pulled this out of the plastic meat package. We used a small portion of it for the stew (along with everything else in the package). I have to say, it added more flavor and depth to the soup.
While in Madrid, I had the juiciest, fattiest, and best medium-rare steak ever. Each bite contained 20% fat, at least 3 salt crystals - 10/10!
One of the most iconic foods in Spain is Jamon Iberico. This is a whole wall of ham. Personally, I've never been more intimidated by a wall ever in my life.
The night we came back from Valencia, I ordered a medium rare steak for dinner. What I got instead may have just been cut from the cow 5 minutes ago. Call me crazy for still eating it, but It was red, juicy, and absolutely delicious.