I love Spain. I love almost everything about it. The energy, the food, the language, flamenco, the art, architecture, the history, the culture, the TAPAS, etc… I have had a near obsession with all things Spanish for a very long time. The first time I set foot on Spanish soil, it almost seemed like I was home. I know that is an odd statement, but it is honestly how I felt. It was as if I belonged there. From that moment on, it has been a long-distance love affair. Spain is where I truly fell in love with food.
I remember vividly the first time I had tapas. I was at an outdoor restaurant/tapas bar called Qu-Qu in Barcelona next to one of the main roads. I still have a paper-wrapped toothpick from there that I keep in my jewelry box. It’s been 12 or 13 years since that first trip and it left an impression on my soul that I still feel today. I had never tasted anything like the food I had on that trip and it resonated with me in a way I had never experienced before. The food was completely foreign to a Midwestern girl from a small town, but reading the menu and ordering things I had never seen or tasted before was exhilarating to me. I almost felt like I had never really tasted food before. I remember exactly what I had that day.
- Patatas Bravas
- Croquetas de jamon
- Mahon & Manchego cheeses
- Jamon Iberico
- Tortilla Espanola
(I can’t figure out how to add the proper accents/tildes here, sorry!)
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