Spain: Eating Times

One of the biggest cultural differences I’ve grown accustomed to is the late times for taking meals during the day. Eating and drinking are huge parts of Spanish culture and the way the day is designed around these two things reflects the casual and relaxed nature of people. It also reflects Spaniards affinity for food as there seem to be approximately five meals in a day..

Lunch time starts around 2:00pm, though I’ve sat down for lunch close to 4pm. Lunch here happens to be the largest meal of the day and can easily take two hours. Depending how early I’ve gotten up in the morning, sometimes waiting for lunch can be excruciating though it’s always well worth it once you start eating. Lunch is extremely relaxed and casual, often times segueing seamlessly into caña time and then back into dinner.

Dinner usually starts around 9pm and it’s not unusual for people to start at 11pm. Literally, 11pm at night. I mean, if I saw someone eating dinner at 11pm in the US, I'd tell the story to other friends about how I saw someone eating dinner at 11pm. Here it's quite the opposite, in fact, the other day I was out with a friend at 730pm and we saw a large family eating dinner. We both looked to see if they were tourists and when we both realized they were Spanish, we simultaneously turned to each other and said, "What are they doing!?!?".

Though dinner is usually quite light on the stomach, it’s still absurd and a little shocking to me how late we sit down to eat sometimes. However, when all the meals start late, it’s also typical to not be so hungry until later on in the evening, and a light meal is perfect before sleep. If you need something between lunch and dinner, you can have a “merienda”, which is basically a snack, or small meal, depending how hungry you are. 

It’s often one of the little notorious facts people know about Spain, “Oh, they eat dinner really late there, right?”, and it couldn’t be more true. Although I’ve gotten used to it, I can’t help but still being occasionally surprised at the lateness of eating. I even initially thought it was exaggerated but it becomes obvious immediately that the reputation of late eating is well earned.   

Spain: Tapas

Tapas are one of my favorite aspects of going out in Spain. In most parts of Spain, especially the south, a small ‘tapa’ (literally ‘lid’) is customarily provided with a beer or wine. That's right; free of charge, included with drinks, gratis...however you want to say it, it's usually free. The kind of tapa you’re presented with can vary from the lowest end of potato chips, peanuts and olives, to the higher end of baked potato, papas bravas, meatballs, and small pieces of bread with meat or cheese. With enough rounds of drinks, tapas can easily fill you up.

One of my favorite tapas (and Spanish foods), croquettas.

Classic tapa, Patatas Bravas (Fried potato with spicy sauce)

Random bread with sausage tapa.

I think that most Americans think that Spanish eat tapas for their meals, which I haven’t found to be true. Tapas are rarely ordered separately from drinks, rather they are inclusive of the drinks. However, there are some places, especially in trendy areas, that have a 'tapa menu'. It's much more common to order a 'ración' if you have a substantial appetite. University students will frequently combine their drinking and evening meal but it is not common place among other groups. I love the variation in tapas and I still receive tapas that I can’t believe are complimentary. The larger the group you have, and the more drinks you order, the more plentiful your tapas will be! Apparently in the south, the tapa distribution is the most liberal in Spain, though I still haven’t ventured to experience this haven.

Classic tapa: bread and jamon!

Another classic, the Spanish tortilla. I'm very happy when I get a tapa like this. 

Spain: Caña

I’m not a huge alcohol drinker but in Spain there is virtually no way to escape the occasional caña (literally ‘cane’). When going to a bar or restaurant, there is almost always a ‘house’ beer on tap. This beer served in a small glass is referred to as a “caña” and the most typical way to order a beer. It’s not common to ask what kind of beer you want, rather there is only a small variation in the type of cañas. You can also get a caña con limón (with lemon fanta) or clara (beer with gaseosa). I know that most bars have other beers available, but I’ve never been with a Spaniard who orders a beer and asks for anything other than a caña.

Like wine, cañas typically come with tapas. Cañas are also very small, usually 200-250ml. Coincidentally, they come in the same cup (vaso) that a morning café con leche would come in. The price for a caña is a bit expensive for the amount of beer but keep in mind that with every round will be another round of tapas! At most places a caña will be 1€, though they can reach 2€ in upscale locations. Also, in a bar, it is not commonplace to tip like in America, rather you can choose to leave small change (10-50 cent coins). Cañas are taken at nearly anytime of the day, but certainly very popular between lunch and dinner, at around 7pm. Caña time can frequently morph into dinner time, a common sight in Spain.  

Spain: The Coffee

The coffee in Spain took me some getting used to. I am a big coffee lover, though I prefer the American style mug of coffee than the cappuccino like potency of Spanish coffee. However, though I prefer the American style, it doesn't mean I can't appreciate the delicious and abundant Spanish coffee.

Most coffee made in home is through a coffee percolator, much stronger than the more common American drip style. If you're out for coffee, it's important to know the different types of coffee. The most common coffee in the morning is café con leche. It's basically an espresso shot with milk, which if it's a nice place, you should be able to choose the temperature of the milk (templado o caliente) and the amount of milk added. It’s also apparently more common to drink it from a small glass cup (vaso) in the mornings, while later cafés con leche are taken from a ceramic mug (taza). Most people add sugar as well. 

 Café con leche in a cup. 

Café con leche in a mug.

In the afternoon, most typically after a large (and late) lunch, it's common to get a café solo or café cortado. Café solo is simply a shot of coffee and cortado is a bit of coffee with a splash of milk. Most people will get a café solo unless the establishment has coffee of questionable quality. For example, there is a Chinese restaurant I like to go to and they always burn the coffee so I'll always get a cortado. You can also get a café manchado, which is much closer to a café con leche, basically a cup of hot milk with a splash of coffee.

Café cortado

Café solo

If you’re looking for something closer to home, you can order a café Americano. This is the typical coffee with about a cup of water added. I’m not sure if most run of the mill bars and cafes in Spain will be able to prepare it, but I’ve seen it on menus in larger towns.

One interesting thing is the sugar. Though I will add a bit of sugar to my cafés cortado, I don’t add sugar to my cafés con leche. Most Spanish will add sugar to their coffee and it will always be presented in an individual packet on the side. Even the most upscale places won’t have a communal sugar dispenser, which is typical in America  and for whatever reason, is somewhat frowned upon here.

Coffee can be a great way to start the day, end a meal, or relax anytime in between. Like most food and beverage in Spain, it is an extremely social activity for the Spanish, which the caffeine certainly helps with!

Spain: Map of Spain

Most of this blog will occur in the comunidad autónoma of Castilla y Leon. Spain has 17 comunidades autónomas, each of which is further divided into provincias. For example, I live in the village of Gumiel de Mercado in the provincia Burgos, which is in the comunidad autónoma of Castilla y Leon. I've provided a detailed map here for reference throughout the blog. You can click to enlarge. 

Autonomous Community Castile La Mancha: Toledo

 

We decided to take the train and do a day trip to Toledo, an ancient city set on a hill. As an American, Toledo was very romantic and "European". It oozed history and culture and I felt ignorant of all the Iberian peninsula wars, battles, and political struggles. As a noob in Spain, I realized I had a lot to learn!

The town was charming and I enjoyed the brisk winter temperature. It kept us moving as we visited the different monuments although we were happy to get a warm drink at one of the local bars!

Parque Nacional de la Sierra de Guadarrama

 

I didn't realize that Madrid had a mountain range so close but the Sierra de Guadarrama, part of the larger Sistema Centra, are visible from Madrid and about an hours drive. We were not feeling up for snow sports but found a nice hike to a frozen lagoon. 

It was a crisp and sunny day with plenty of winter hikers out. We felt a little unprepared as we were surrounded by people with full on winter gear, like crampons and climbing ropes. Luckily the trail was relatively well trodden and our footwear sufficed. The views of the lagoon were beautiful and as someone from a cold climate, I really enjoyed the mountain hike.