Wraps at an outdoor market in Barcelona.

Food in Spain

“Have a bocadillo for me,” said my friend Karla, a member of my Spanish conversation group, when she heard that I was going to visit Spain.

I had no idea what she was referring to but I quickly found out as there were many restaurants in Barcelona that were selling them in the middle of the day. A bocadillo, it turns out, is a Spanish sandwich on a mini-baguette. The contents could be cured ham, or Spanish omelette, or even calamari, for example. Imagine a slightly smaller sandwich from Subway with crustier bread and much less vegetables and you kind of get the picture.

All of the bocadillos I ate, actually, did not taste as good to me as a Subway sandwich. They tended to be rather simple and plain, resulting in this Spanish food icon seeming rather bland with only a few ingredients. They were portable and cheap, though (generally about 3.5-4 euros, or about the cost of a foot-long Subway).

But that would be the only item of food that I found a little disappointing in Spain. Spain, after all, is home to paella and tapas. The former is a rice dish which—in only the most recent generation—often incorporates seafood, and the latter is best described as small entrées, much like appetizers. A person can order a lot of tapas to make a big meal.

I got to enjoy many 3-course gastronomical delights in Spain courtesy of VaughanTown in Valdelavilla, where I volunteered at to help Spaniards practice their English. Photos are below. Some of the foods probably did not originate from Spain, but were delectably satisfying. I would almost return to Spain just for the food alone.

Katia and delicious paella dishes.
Katia and delicious paella dishes.
Paella in Barcelona.
Paella in Barcelona.
Gamba in Barcelona.
Gamba in Barcelona.
Wraps at an outdoor market in Barcelona.
Wraps at an outdoor market in Barcelona.
Chicken wings and Greek salad tapas at Caf̩ Fernando in Barcelona.
Chicken wings and Greek salad tapas at Caf̩ Fernando in Barcelona.
My breakfast one morning in the Olympic area.
My breakfast one morning in the Olympic area.
A Spanish omelette bocadillo.
A Spanish omelette bocadillo.
Pita bread and hummus.
Pita bread and hummus.
More tapas.
More tapas.
Paella with Katia.
Paella with Katia.
Near my hotel in Madrid, I got this d̦ner kebab with fries and beer dinner combo.
Near my hotel in Madrid, I got this d̦ner kebab with fries and beer dinner combo.
Something covered with cheese and sauce.
Something covered with cheese and sauce.
Chicken and potatoes.
Chicken and potatoes.
Ice cream
Ice cream
Russian salad (which was actually conceived by the French under Napolean's rule.)
Russian salad (which was actually conceived by the French under Napolean's rule.)
Chicken and mixed vegetables.
Chicken and mixed vegetables.
A fruit dessert.
A fruit dessert.
Soup and bread.
Soup and bread.
Salad.
Salad.
I think this was cheesecake?
I think this was cheesecake?
Rabbit.
Rabbit.
A pear for dessert.
A pear for dessert.
Some sort of seafood cocktail for dessert.
Some sort of seafood cocktail for dessert.
Hard-boiled eggs as an entr̩e.
Hard-boiled eggs as an entr̩e.
Green beans, bacon and potatoes.
Green beans, bacon and potatoes.
I forget what this was.
I forget what this was.
Ham-wrapped yellow asparagus.
Ham-wrapped yellow asparagus.
Pasta and red bean salad.
Pasta and red bean salad.
Meatballs.
Meatballs.
A sweet rice porridge.
A sweet rice porridge.
Banana (and syrup) for dessert.
Banana (and syrup) for dessert.
Some sort of stew with cheese.
Some sort of stew with cheese.
Chicken and mushrooms.
Chicken and mushrooms.
Tuna and vegetables.
Tuna and vegetables.
Fish and
Fish and