La Comida De España

Ingredientes Típicos  Aceite de Oliva  Jamón Serrano  Quesos Diferentes  Ajo  Mariscos  Chorizo  Huevos  Papas / Patatas  Pan  Conejo  Aceitunas  Atún

Platos Típicos  Varias Tapas  Tortilla de Patata  Paella  Camarones y otros mariscos

El Desayuno  Breakfast is MUCH smaller than an American breakfast.  pan con tomate, pan dulce, pan con marmolada and they always have café con leche  Younger Spaniards have Cola Cao with breakfast instead of café.  similar to hot chocolate

El Almuerzo / La Comida  El almuerzo is the largest meal of the day in Spain and occurs around 2 o’clock  Most people, especially those in smaller towns, leave work and school, and go home for lunch  Businesses and schools shut down from 2-5, so that everyone can enjoy this meal with their families…especially in smaller towns.

El Almuerzo/La Comida  Soup or salad is usually served and bread is always on the table  Most people have dessert with lunch  Tortilla Española, Ensalada Rusa, Jamón, Conejo, Cordero, o Paella  Restaurants serve many different lunch options, including traditional Italian or Mexican food

La Siesta  La siesta occurs right after lunch  People sleep for about two hours to escape both the heat of the day and to rest from their large meal  Some people do not sleep, but instead go to a park or pool to rest and relax for a few hours  Most people return to work and shops reopen around 5 o’clock  Some schools have students return for night classes as well

La Merienda  Spaniards have a merienda usually around 10 in the morning and also around 6 at night  The morning snack usually occurs in cafes and is a social time  The morning snack consists of more café con leche, pan dulce, or pan chocolate  The evening snack is usually pan con jamón or queso or a slice of tortilla

La Cena & Las Tapas  Spain is famous for these “ small plates ”.  People go to tapas bars after the siesta and up until dinner time or after their evening snack for late night treats.  It is a very social thing-many families and friends join together for this meal  Groups travel from bar to bar, having a different tapa at each place

Las Tapas  Tapas can be as simple as olives and nuts in bowls but most people prefer to order off the hot and cold menu  Tapas Calientes: Tortilla de Patata, Patatas Bravas, Camarones, Croquetas de Jamón o Pollo, Atún, Pan con jamón, Chorizo, y Queso, Empanadas,y,Calamares Fritos

Las Tapas  Tapas are becoming very popular all over the world, including in the United States  All major cities, including Pittsburgh, now have tapas restaurants  Many people believe the “Mediterranean” diet is a way to stay slimmer because they eat smaller portions throughout the day and tapas fall into this type of diet, thus increasing their popularity

Los Postres  Since Spaniards stay up so late, dessert options are very popular  Many cafes and restaurants stay open way past normal American closing times and serve tapas and postres until the morning hours  The most popular late night dessert is churros con chocolate  Spaniards also enjoy flan, which is a cheesecake like dessert