Before coming to Spain, I was a very picky eater (“picky” in Spanish is “tiquismiquis” — a very fun word to say). In Spain, I am very grateful to not have the option to be picky anymore. When my host mom puts a plate of food in front of me, I could ask what I am eating but I can very rarely understand her answer in Spanish. At home, I was generally very cautious about what I ate — only eating foods that I knew I would enjoy. Abroad, I have learned to be comfortable in uncertainty. I very rarely know what I am eating and I never know if I will like it. And I eat it anyway! Because of this, I have discovered so many foods that I love and some that I loved to try (but will probably never eat again)!

Oranges are very popular in the Valencian region of Spain. When I was a kid in the U.S., I once tried an orange and hated it. When offered an orange here — and I had no way to politely decline in Spanish — I tried a Valencian orange and of course I loved it.

I’ve also tried many other regional meals such as paella, Spanish tortilla and octopus!

On my visit to Granada last month and in Barcelona this past weekend, I leaned into local tapa cuisine. Tapas are often served with drinks at bars and restaurants. When they are served with a drink, you do not get to choose your tapas. Sometimes you strike gold (e.g., patatas bravas) and other times you strike out (e..g, anchovies smothered in vinegar, yuck). You can also order tapas without a drink — and choose exactly what you want. In Spain, tapas can be used as an appetizer or as a meal. For dinner, people go to many bars or restaurants in a night, getting a few tapas to share with a group before moving onto the next tapas bar. This way of eating is very social, very interactive and very surprising. You have to be able to go with the flow of the meal and relax a little.

Spain has many fast food chains common in the U.S., such as Starbucks, Popeyes, Carl Jr’s, McDonalds, KFC, etc. These chains seem similar to the U.S., but the food is not all the same. For example, my host mom bought us Dominoes one day. I expected to open the pizza box to find cheese, pepperoni, veggie, maybe sausage. Instead, she had bought one pizza with pineapple and tuna and another with ham. The pineapple and tuna was a big surprise and I’m glad I tried it, but I don’t think I will become a repeat customer. The ham was less surprising. Ham is a VERY big deal in Spain — so much so that it is very common for a household to own a ham leg and display it in their kitchen. A ham leg can cost anywhere from 70 euro to 700 euro! A ham leg is a very common — and cherished — Christmas gift given to a family. I’m very lucky to have gotten the opportunity to try — and enjoy — new foods while here in Spain! In the next three months, I will be sure to try even more local specialties and try Spanish McDonalds!

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Learn more about this blogger’s study abroad program: ALI Abroad: University of Alicante