Mid-morning meal: Almuerzo

Almuerzo ingredients

 

I've written about the eating times in Spain but I want to highlight one of the specific mealtimes, almuerzo. Typically this meal is taken anywhere from 10:30 to 12:00, a kind of late-morning snack to tide people over until the late lunch. This used to be more important when the majority of people were farming and couldn't afford to come back to the house and prepare a meal. I learned about this tradition from Antonio, a life-long resident and eager narrator of local customs and behavior. He explained that in the area (province of Castellón, in the Valencian Community) people lived inland and had plots of farmland near the coast. They would have their almuerzo packed with their bota while they either farmed or grazed sheep. In this area the almuerzo has, "jamon de mar" (sardines), green pepper, tomato, garlic, and bread. 

The first time it was explained to me I was intrigued and Antonio was excited to arrange it. It has since become a yearly tradition, one that we all look forward to. To be honest, I really don't love the actual food in almuerzo but it's always better than I think it will be and it's a fun thing to do. The porron is an essential piece of equipment and we're also partial to having coc en sal, a kind of specialty bread from the area. It's a nice change of pace, a bit novel for us, and a throwback to the lifestyle and rhythm of life a few decades ago.