Food and tapas in Spain by Jake Hopen

Coming to Spain, I knew I was going to expect a cultural shock. This does not surprise me as many students in Spain experience the same experience. I wanted to focus this post primarily on the aspect of tapas in Spain, and what I was not used to.

For me, I thought that the meal times and plates were the aspects that surprised me the most. In the United States, people eat at around 6 in the afternoon. While in Spain, people eat at around 10 at night. In addition, lunch time is later in Spain, while in the United States we eat at noon. This was a huge cultural shock to me, especially waiting for 2:00 PM to come when you are hungry at 11:00 AM or 12:00 PM. At the time that I was hungry, it was still time for breakfast. I had the option of eating bread with olive oil and tomatoes, rather than a typical American breakfast, such as bacon and eggs. Tapas are also common in Spain, where people eat mini savory snacks and share them with friends and family. I remember when I went to a restaurant for the first time with my friends, and tried so many different tapas. My favorite tapa is the patatas bravas. Everyone in Spain told me to try that dish, including my friends because of what they had heard. I was a fan of sharing small dishes and being happy rather than regretting what I had eaten. The good thing that I discovered is that if you are not a fan of one tapa, you can try another one without complaining. I absolutely loved how I could taste the authentic Spanish food instead of the huge portions typical of the United States.