Food is an essential part of Spanish culture, with tapas and paella being two of the country's most iconic dishes. Living in Spain for a month has given me the opportunity to experience a wide variety of traditional foods.
Paella
During my program, we took a day trip just outside of Valencia to see how paella is made. We first visited the rice fields of Albufera to see the origin of Valencian rice. Then, we took a trip to La Barraca de Toni Montoliu.
Fun fact: Paella is actually the name of the pan that the dish is cooked in, not the actual food!
A barraca is a traditional Valencian farmhouse, usually the home of a farmer or fisherman. We learned about traditional Valencian agriculture and what life was like.
We were shown large fields of crops that are grown on the property and used to make paella in-house. These ingredients include saffron, salt, tomatoes, flat green beans, lima beans, snails, and, of course, rice.
Unlike typical Spanish paella, Valencian paella does not have seafood. It includes chicken, rabbit, and snails. Personally, I had never tried rabbit or snails before, so it was definitely an experience to try these new foods.
This is the finished product. The very large pan was brought out to us and plated. By far, this was the best paella I have tried yet.
Mercat Central
One of the oldest continuously operating food markets in Europe, this fresh food market has more than 250 vendors selling fresh seafood, meats, fruits, and many other Spanish staples. Some of the items that stood out to me the most were the clams, nuts, fruits, jamón (ham), and octopus.
There are also shops on the outside of the building where you can get various items like churros and orxata. Spanish horchata is similar to Mexican horchata but is made from tiger nuts instead of rice. Spanish churros are also similar to Mexican churros, but they are thinner and are typically dipped in rich chocolate.
Extras
Valencia is also known for its oranges. You can find them lining the streets, in gardens, or at countryside orchards. Personally, orange juice was what I was looking forward to the most before coming to Spain. You can get it freshly squeezed not only at a fruit stand in Mercat Central but also in typical grocery stores. My friends and I frequently visit both.
Bakeries, or panaderías, are also common in Spain. You can find them on just about every corner of the city. This one in Barcelona is famous for its xuixo, a traditional deep-fried pastry originating in Catalonia.