Larana

To what extent do you eat so-called 'Spanish' food when in Spain?

I think most people have probably had their lifetime quota of paella, so that aside, do you eat Spanish at all meals, or just now and then? Or maybe never, preferring Heinz baked beans etc.!

Lynn R

At home we cook dishes from various cuisines including British, Italian, French, Indian, Thai and Spanish. We would find eating just one type of food very boring.

Retired in Euskadi

Not sure what "so-called" Spanish food is, since the main shop in the 'village' is an Eroski supermarket, as well as greengrocers, butchers, fishmongers, whom we support, so all the food is local/Spanish. The fishmongers would put even Waitrose's fish counter to shame.

We're not a true ex-pat couple as my wife is Basque. Without appearing boring, we eat regularly paella, patatas a la Riojana, red/white beans, lentils, fish & various meats.
Probably the only non-Spanish dish would be a roast chicken in the winter months, with Brussels & parsnips from the allotment.
Can't say I miss any English food shop, though do sometimes miss pork pies, Branston pickle, Marmite, Roses lime marmalade, English sausages & fatty bacon occasionally, none of which are available here.

Larana

Roses lime marmalade and indeed their lime juice often comes up as being some of those things that people can't get hold of on the continent.

me me

Does anyone change their whole eating habits when they move their location?

crookesey

No, you don't mean that you guys don't wear traditional Spanish dress, spend every weekend at bull fights and constantly play with your castanets, do you?

Larana

Maybe only when they get sent to prison? I've no experience of that, needless to say.

Fred James

Why would anyone want to eat that? Roses Lime marmalade and their lime juice don't even taste like limes.

We grow our own limes and that's good enough for us.

Incidentally you cannot make "English" marmalade without Spanish oranges!

We eat all sorts of different cuisines - either out at restaurants or at home - but Spanish traditional food is one of our favourites and frankly the stuff we cook at home is far better than the stuff in local "Spanish" restaurants here.

Dick Dasterdly

Just curious why you can't make English marmalade without Spanish oranges.

Spanish oranges vary throughout the country as do oranges throughout other countries, so do you mean that like for like oranges cannot be found outside of Spain ?


Incidentally, just made some Quince, (Membrillo), marmalade today which is claimed to be the original form of marmalade.
They also makes excellent crumbles as well as a superb liqueur.

cricketman

It sounds like we eat pretty much the same as you. We never make paella though!

Spanish food is very varied anyway. And we cook different things we have picked up in Catalunya and Andalucia. The rest is Asturian along with the Spanish basics of tortilla, filetes, arroz con huevo etc. We eat quite a lot of beef and fish up here. And homemade pizza and pasta thrown in.

My wife actually loves English breakfasts and eggs benedict and we eat that when we go back to the UK, but you can't get the ingredients here. So we don't actually eat anything English at all. Ah yes we do, Dorset cereals, we get them shipped in via Amazon

jackytoo

Yes, the plastic spanish

I can still remember a Jewish/Polish aunt giving us stuff like semolina, beetroot soup etc. I often used to cook Yorkshire hash and dumplings in Spain, a recipe from my Husband's Mother. New York cheesecake, Greek moussaka. How boring to eat just Spanish. Most expats wouldn't know what it was anyway outside of paella and Ham

Dick Dasterdly

Apart from the limited number of expensive quality restaurants that very few can afford to use on a regular basis, the vast majority of Spanish eating establishments and homes have hardly changed their bland and basic menus and recipes since Franco was a lad.

cricketman

Remember that I am the only Brit I know up here and I never liked English food anyway. So hardly a plastic Spaniard when the rest of my family, and friends ARE Spanish

cricketman

That's absolute rubbish, you are just showing off your own ignorance.

But then again, I should know better than to talk about food on this forum!

Dick Dasterdly

You should get down off your ivory tower in fools paradise and spend more time getting to know the country you live in, as you obviously haven't a clue apart from the limited circles and places you're forever bragging about.