Category: Spain

Jamón Ibérico

Published on by gwenmorgan3231 Comment

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.

The Reality of Culture Shock

Published on by gwenmorgan323Leave a comment

I’ve always considered myself to be a fairly adaptable individual. I love delving into different cultures, trying different foods, and listening to different music. 

Before going abroad, I attended all of the required “pre-departure” meetings. They all told me the same thing: “you might experience something called ‘culture-shock’, don’t be embarrassed if you have difficulty adapting to a new environment right away.” Every single time I would ignore said advice. I told myself, “as someone already between two cultures, there was no way I would experience culture shock”. I was so convinced I would adjust perfectly, that I’d be able to integrate easily, that I’d fall seamlessly into the Spaniard routine. 

Oh how wrong I was. 

For one, I never considered how different my diet would become, especially now as I write this portion of the blog from the bathroom floor, nauseous from a dish served to me by my host family that I had no idea would not agree with me. I was determined to impress them, wanting to be adventurous, but I never considered that my body wouldn’t be fully accustomed to the ingredients in the food here. We are fed copious amounts of bread and cheese (of which I am not complaining), as well as meat and other seafood. Coming from someone who eats a vegetable-heavy diet, however, it’s been an adjustment. 

Besides the upset tummy, I’ve found that I am struggling to adjust to the times of meals. Lunch, almuerzo, is served around 2 pm, while dinner is not served sometimes until nine or ten pm. I am an individual who enjoys an early dinner, allowing me to be in bed by that time. Not to mention the types of food I am served with each meal. Breakfast in our household usually consists of a slice of bread, a spread of roughly blended tomatoes, and some sort of meat to adorn it with. Of course, I can’t forget the coffee, a Spanish staple. I have taken a lot of solace in the fact that my caffeine addiction is still being maintained while I am abroad.

School has been different too. I’d like to consider myself a fashionable person, but the women of Spain are next level. No one really takes backpacks to school either, they all carry large bags and sport well-fitting leather jackets. I feel a little out of place with my American jeans and North Face backpack. 

I also have to admit I’ve had a hard time adjusting to living with so many people, so many unfamiliar people at that. I am, however, grateful that I know Spanish well enough that I have not experienced the stress that comes from a language barrier. Living with so many different personalities is difficult, especially with two young kids. Our host parents are the sweetest people in the world, only wanting us to feel accommodated and comfortable. Our host mom, Ana, was so worried when I got sick, offering me everything and anything I could need. “Si, si, I want you to feel almost like at home,” she texted me once, and I felt so seen and loved. It’s been hard to be away from home, as much as I hate to admit it…I’m definitely homesick. I know it will pass, and I know how lucky I am to be here, but it’s hard. Hard to be away from the familiarity of routine, away from familiar foods, people, places, and names. 

On the days I was sick, both physically and mentally, I felt so silly that I kept making excuses for myself: I’ve only been here for a week! I’ve been away from home for longer periods of time! I was being ridiculous! 

But in reality, I was struggling. SO much had happened in so little time, it was enough to overwhelm just about anyone. 

As I cried on the floor of our host family’s bathroom, I came to the conclusion that most of my frustration was coming from a place of “needing to feel a certain way”, of expecting myself to achieve these impossible standards of immediately adjusting and feeling a sense of familiarity. In reality, I had only been there a week! Even if it had felt like longer, I needed to give myself some grace, as reminded to me by my lovely roommate, who has been nothing but encouraging and understanding since these feelings began to emerge. 

Even now, as I write this in perfectly good condition, I still feel a twinge of homesickness, and you know what? That is okay. It is okay for me to admit that I am uncomfortable, it is okay for me to admit that sometimes I feel a little silly, and it is most certainly okay for me to admit that I might be experiencing a slight bought of culture shock.

Your 20s are the perfect time in your life for just that. For the uncomfortably, for the homesickness, for honestly just feeling awkward and unadjusted.

I am honestly grateful that I have and still am experiencing culture shock, as it has solidified the idea that I am someone who can adjust, even if it is not seamless. It just takes time.