Mealtimes in Spain: How to enjoy continental eating habits
BY READERS DIGEST
1st Nov 2021 Recipes
For a long time, it was France and Italy that dominated the European culinary scene. Their food would be exported all over the world and people would visit the countries to have a try of some of the most celebrated dishes on the planet.
However, there is no doubt that Spain has started to exert its presence across recent years. So, let’s look at the food and drink that is commonly enjoyed in Spain to get some more info about how you can bring it into your own life to a greater degree.
Spanish life
There is a great level of sociability that is brought by Spanish food. This is evidenced most in the tapas form of eating in which many small plates are placed into the centre of the table and designed to be shared among all of the invited guests. There is something about this slow-paced enjoyment of food that also reflects what is going on in Spanish life in general. Food is there to be enjoyed with other people and not simply rushed down in order to move onto the next thing as soon as possible afterwards. Having Spanish food delivered by The Spanish Hamper gives you a greater opportunity to enjoy this type of food for yourself.
Food
As for the food itself, it can vary from region to region, but there are some dishes that can be found anywhere. Sometimes, it is the simple dishes such as the patatas bravas that really hold the main stage. Ultimately, these are just fried potatoes in a slightly spicy tomato sauce but describing them like this does not really do them justice and there is so much to be enjoyed in this dish. As Spain is a coastal country, seafood is also widely enjoyed. For many years, it has been known that Spanish people like to enjoy a long lunch break, but there are signs that this is starting to change in recent years. However, when the opportunity arises, it is still worth enjoying food in the Spanish style, which ultimately means that you do it slowly. Also, the main meal of the day is something that is taken very late at night, but it is made up for by the fact that breakfast tends to be a very simple affair with pastries.
Wine
Alcohol tends to be enjoyed in moderation in Spain, and it is wine that makes the perfect accompaniment to any dinner party. Of course, Spanish wines such as Rioja are known the world over, and this adds to the atmosphere of mealtimes being an occasion to enjoy for every single person around the table.
All of these elements make up a Spanish mealtime, but the best thing to take away from it all is the fact that food and wine are accompaniments to a lot of enjoyment and laughs around the table in Spain.
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