I am not in the slightest what one would call a “picky eater”. I am, in fact, quite the opposite: a foodie. I will eat just about anything, put it in front of me and I won’t knock it till I’ve tried it. So you can imagine my excitement to study abroad in Bilbao, Spain, where Basque cuisine reigns. I simply could not WAIT to try everything.
Each day on my walk to school I pass a little butcher shop seemingly dedicated to jamón ibérico, and that is partly what inspired this blog. I really wanted to highlight the mundane day-to-day of what I see, experience, and taste here in Bilbao. Food is what life seems to revolve around here. In the mornings we pass coffee shops and ice cream stands, as well as a wide variety of upscale restaurants still waiting peacefully to be open until the evening. After our first class of the day, we go to a little café in our college, and we can get a little croissant or coffee for just a couple Euros. I would argue that food is such an integral part of any culture, and Spain is certainly no exception.
Pintxos
Fun fact about Bilbao: it has one of the highest concentrations of Michelin-star restaurants in all of Spain (thank you to my hospitality major friend for that). Walking along the streets of Bilbao I’ve noticed them here and there, and I’ve begun to crave a rather expensive 5-star meal. However, you can easily experience equally exquisite dining at any little bar along any street. Each of these bars usually serves a variety of drinks, as well as little tapa-like items, better known as pintxos. A “pintxo” is a small dish, usually consisting of a piece of bread adorned with a variety of meats and cheeses, croquettes, fish, and more. The pintxo is super unique and actually got its name from the cocktail stick holding it together. “Pincho” in Spanish means skewer and spike. That’s what differentiates it from a supposed tapa. It’s not a tapa, it’s a pintxo! One of my favorite variations of a pintxo is one with something called “jamón ibérico”. Jamón ibérico is a variety of cured meat most popular here in Spain. It comes from a cured leg of ham, which is commonly seen hanging from most meat markets here, and is considered a staple of both Portuguese and Spanish cuisine. I will be honest, I did not develop a fondness for this meat until my abroad experience, as every time I had tried it in the past it was against my will (thank you to my father), and was simply not as good as the authentic, Spanish quality of jamón here in Spain. It is served with many dishes here, especially “bocadillos” which are sandwiches one can eat for a mid-morning snack or lunch. Specifically, sandwiches made with a baguette. Jamón is also often incorporated in our host-stay breakfast, laid atop our bread smothered with tomatoes.
Tortilla de Patatas
Now another one of my favorite Spanish dishes is something called “tortilla de patatas” (which I am currently enjoying as I write this section of my blog). It’s basically a Spanish omelet, a mixture of egg and potatoes, happiness, and sometimes onion. It. Is. DELICIOUS, and is also sometimes served on top of a sliver of bread as a pintxo. You can even put stuff between the two tortillas, like vegetables, cheese, or even tuna. I think it is one of the snacks I will miss the most after my quarter of study abroad, the warmth of the potatoes and the smoothness of the egg, it’s such a simple, yummy snack.
Wine
I have also come to discover the art of good quality wine. We recently completed an excursion to La Rioja, a part of Spain dedicated to lots of “bodegas” or wine cellars. We got to go down into one and do a tasting, and I learned so much about varieties of wine aging, coloring, and smell. I had NO idea there was so much that went into wine production, and I had no idea you could tell how old or young a wine was just based on the coloring! It was so interesting. It was also refreshing to find that here in Spain a glass of wine is quite normalized, as long as it is paired with pintxos or a full meal of course. Drinking culture is much more relaxed here, quite in contrast to the American way of enjoying an alcoholic beverage. My personal favorite is a white wine called “txakoli”, pronounced “chac-o-li”, traditional to the Basque area of Spain. I often get it confused with another common beverage called “kalimotxo”, pronounced “chali-motcho”, a mixture of red wine and Coca-Cola that was invented around 1972 during a Puerto Viejo festival, when a group of friends noticed the wine quality was poor, so to make it sweeter they mixed it with Coca-Cola (so interesting). I personally do not enjoy it, but it is fun to learn the origin!
I have to admit, as much as I adore the food here, it took me a minute to adjust (as discussed in a previous blog of mine), and one of the biggest “issues” of mine I’ve had to overcome is a supposed lack of vegetables. There is a preconceived notion that Europe has a lack of vegetables, and when I first arrived I certainly agreed. Then I got more comfortable here and quickly found that you just have to use your eyes and LOOK. There are plenty of vegetables! They just aren’t quite as popularly paired with each meal. Another adjustment food-wise was the portion sizing here. Everything is served in smaller, more digestible portions, and I have to say I absolutely love it. I feel full in a satisfied way, not in a bloated way I usually feel back home in the U.S. I have definitely enjoyed the lack of additives in my processed foods as well, though I have to say I was surprised opening a bag of hot Cheetos and being met with an entirely different flavor. I really admire how Spain handles food, and I have felt happier and healthier after each meal just knowing my food is made with clean ingredients.
Overall, it is safe to say that I am deeply infatuated with Spanish cuisine. I can’t wait to learn about and try more of the foods that are so deeply ingrained within this culture. I signed up for a class on gastronomy this semester, and I could not be more ecstatic. Next week there will be a pintxo tasting and I will for SURE have an update! Thank you Spain for keeping me so well fed.
DU Abroad 
one word: YUM