Out of the cuisines of the world, it doesn’t seem like Spanish food is particularly well-known among us Americans. Beyond tapas and paella, people often assume that it must be just like Italian food, or maybe like Mexican food. While it has much in common with neighboring countries, Spain has a cuisine all its own. The first food-related culture shock that I received, which seems to be a common experience among Americans who come here, was the meal schedule. A typical Spaniard will eat lunch, the most important meal of the day, at around 2 p.m. Dinner, traditionally, isn’t served until 10 p.m., though many people eat an hour or two before. Breakfast is at any time in the morning and is almost always light and sweet. I have adjusted just fine to this schedule, the only downside I see is that I get very tired in the afternoon, and my class schedule doesn’t allow me to take a siesta. American visitors to Europe will often come back raving about the food where they went, and complaining about their own country’s food. I’d rather take a slightly more nuanced approach and look at specific differences in the food culture between the United States and Spain. Here is a list of some differences I’ve noticed, in no particular order:

• Spanish food is not spicy. Most dishes are very well-spiced and flavorful, but very rarely will you find a Spanish dish with any level of heat.
• A “tortilla” in Spain is not a type of flatbread like in North America, instead it is an omelet with potatoes.
• While in America, a meal is only served as various courses in the most formal of occasions, in Spain it is extremely typical even at home.
• After eating in any café or restaurant, it is perfectly acceptable and common to remain at the table for hours after eating
• Eating fruit for dessert is common in Spain, while in America that seems to be falling out of fashion
• American-style drip coffee is almost impossible to find. Nearly all coffee is some variation of espresso in Spain.
• While Americans might only go grocery shopping once a week, it is common to swing by the market every day or two in Spain.

I can’t say conclusively that either country does everything better or worse. There are plenty of things that I miss about America (American-style peanut butter just doesn’t exist here, nor does a good chocolate chip cookie), and there will be things that I will miss about Spain once I’m home. I think food overall serves as an interesting window into the broader values of a country and culture.

---

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