On Tapa the World

As my last two blogs have detailed, the architecture of Spain is a very important part of its culture and flavor. The mix of Roman and Moorish influences create buildings that are uniquely built and uniquely beautiful. But, there were more important “flavors” to notice in Spain. The food, obviously (yeah, no buildup, I’m not in the mood). Specifically, the tapas.  On the Iberian Peninsula, lunch is usually served between 1 and 3, while dinner is enjoyed at the later hour of 9. So, tapas are the sort of appetizers of Spanish gastronomy, served between lunch and dinner. It is has become a tradition that has transcended cultures: due to Spain’s influence on other countries due to its colonial power, many countries around the world have adopted Spain’s tapas culture. But, was the cuisine any good? If the tapas I ate were representative of what generally is served for tapas, than it was absolutely superb!

Tapas With Everything!

Tapas culture has endured in Spain for centuries, utilizing the staples brought in by the Romans and the Moors. Common dishes are tostas, which are open-faced sandwiches with various Iberian meats and cheeses layered on top. Also common are aceitunas (olives), bacalao (the never-dying salted cod), and paella (a rice dish commonly served with seafood). Of course, as is traditional in Andalusia, if you buy tapas, you are given a drink to accompany it, usually a beer or glass of wine. The same goes if you buy a cocktail; I was quite surprised to receive “complementary” tapas when I bought Sangria at a bar in Granada. The tapas I had were the perfect combination of filling and tasty, enough to do the job to bridge the gap between lunch and dinner without being bland. Some of the tapas I indulged in where downright delicious, including the best meal I have had so far on this trip. I will focus especially on that meal in the next section.

La Brunilda

While in Sevilla, Camille and I wanted to find a good tapas place to indulge ourselves in. As I looked on Google, a place nearby our hostel immediately popped up, before any other restaurant nearby (Google, you mind-reader…). I gave it a closer look, because it was also in my trusty student budget guide book I’ve been using throughout my time in Europe. I decided it looked appealing, and Camille was game for an adventure. And it was an adventure! The name of the place: La Brunilda. The location: a 10 minute walk away. We aimed to get there 30 minutes early. Yes, 30 minutes early. This was due to this place being insanely popular.  We were 20th in line as we arrived at 8:05, 25 minutes before La Brunilda opened at 8:30. The restaurant was in a ill-used back alley, and only seated about 35, including bar seating. But, we got a table, and avoided the infamous waiting list, one that never is empty after this cozy little tapas bar opens. Menus are presented, and inside their pages awaits a smorgasbord of cheap options to choose from. That is the big draw of this place: the price range. Individual-sized tapas run from 4 to 6 euros, and share-sized tapas run from 8 to 12 euros. Drinks are cheap (1-3 euros). Everything’s cheap. But what we had to “sacrifice” in price, we did not have to sacrifice in quality. The food we indulged in was absolutely delicious. Camille and I each got 2 individual-sized tapas and a shared-sized one to split. I got a cheese plate (idiazabal cheese, a cheese both buttery and smoky) served with a fruit jam that was hard to identify, but paired perfectly with the textures and flavors of the cheese. Coming with the cheese plate was our shared dish, papas bravas. These are potatoes served with a slightly spicy sauce, as well as a yogurt sauce. The mixing of the two sauces, as well as the spices added on the potatoes made for an explosion of flavors when savoring a bite of the potatoes. It is one of the most popular tapas in Spain. My final tapa of the day was a meat dish, a duck leg served in carrot puree and with other vegetables. The succulent meat was so tender that it feel right of the bone, and the carrot puree worked surprisingly well with the duck. Although I’m no food critic and struggle mighty to convey how these foods tasted, perhaps one simple word will suffice: Scrumptious.

A Quick Description of Other Tapas Eaten

I tried a decent amount of tapas on this trip. Here is a brief description of the other things I ate before my salutations.

Seafood Paella: A classic in Spain. Cooked rice served with various types of seafood and vegetables. Mine had squid rings, and a couple types of mollusks. I had this in Granada.

Tosta #1: This tosta was a quarter of a wheat baguette with Brie, sirloin, and caramelized onions. It was probably the best tapas I had other than what I ate at La Brunilda. I had this in Granada.

Meat and Cheese Plate: This was my first taste of Iberian ham, something that a person I met in my hostel described as tasting like a rather unsavory part of the body. I didn’t think so. It was adequately tasty; I enjoyed the cheese much better. I had this in Granada.

Empanadilla: Both the son and father of the empanadas we all know and love in the US. It is the inspiration for the American version, but is much smaller. Mine came with chicken and vegetables, and was a good snack-sized package of flavor. I had this in Sevilla.

Tosta #2: This one wasn’t anything special. The first tosta I had was much better. This one had Iberian ham, and nothing else. I just got it as a quick snack for on-the-go that was cheap. I had this in Sevilla.

Thanks yet again for reading. I can’t believe this is the 20th blog post I have managed to write since I started! I have done much better than my original goal of an average of one per week. I have managed to find the time and effort to average exactly 2 per week! Sorry for all the self back-patting. I need it right now. I will go on a brief hiatus for the next 10 days, in which my midterms will be done. Expect a blog detailing my study experiences in Lisbon over this period. Afterwards? A whole lot of adventures coming your way. Just today I booked a trip with the Erasmus Life organization to “Serra da Estrela” the highest mountain range in continental Portugal. The following weekend is Amsterdam. After that, I very well may be journeying to Coimbra, home to a university founded in the 13th century! The following week, I wrap up classes, and then go to Budapest, followed by France, and then return home. Expect blogs on all of those travels to be detailed, as well as some reflections as I finish up. That probably means I have 10-12 posts left in me before this all over. Stay with me to hear about all of the above! I hope you continue to enjoy my writings. Until next time, 

Jeremy Caldeira