Spanish summer cuisine
- Tortilla de patatas. Nobody who visits Spain should leave without having enjoyed this simple and delicious potato and onion omelette.
- Gazpacho. ...
- Salmorejo. ...
- Croquetas. ...
- Cured ham – jamón serrano. ...
- Cheese. ...
- Paella.
Why do they eat so late in Spain? Spain's famously late mealtimes are due to the fact that the country has been geographically in the wrong time zone since World War II! During all that time, Spaniards have eaten at the same time they always have in regards to the position of the sun in the sky.
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As a result, Spaniards who would eat at 1pm or 1.30pm continued to eat at their usual time (now 2pm or 2.30pm), continued to have dinner at 8pm (now 9pm) and continued to go to bed at 11pm (now midnight).
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Merienda is Spain's traditional afternoon snack, similar to some cultures' afternoon tea. Usually people eat it between 5 and 6:30 in the evening, although it can be eaten just about any time before dinner.
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Flan. Spanish flan is a caramel pudding made from a simple mixture of milk, sugar and eggs. You'll see it served in almost every bar and restaurant in Madrid and beyond, making it the king of all desserts from Spain.
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The Spanish siestas likely started after Spanish field workers started taking breaks around the middle of the day to come in out of the sun. During their siestas, they would escape the heat at the hottest time of the day and give themselves time to eat lunch and hang out with their families away from the elements.
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Punctuality is not highly important in Spain. People can arrive half an hour late to a social function with no questions raised. If someone turns up late and apologises, people are likely to respond with something like “no pasa nada” – meaning “It's not that important”.
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