281- Identity: the
building blocks of
2. Literature
and philosophy
3. Art and
architecture
4. Performing
arts
5. Cinema
and fashion
6. Media and
communications
7. Food and drink 8. Living culture:
the details of
How do the Spanish eat?
Spanish eating habits are evolving subtly. In urban areas
particularly, people don’t spend quite as long at the table
as they used to. In Madrid, for instance, lunch has shrunk
to an hour for commuters who can’t pop home for food
and a siesta.Modern life is getting in the way. However,
the traditions dictating when the Spanish eat remain
distinctive. To the outsider it can seem like they’re eating
all the time, grazing throughout the day on mysterious little
treats bought from a café or bar. For main meals they eat
significantly later than most of Europe; often they won’t sit
down for an evening meal until 10pm, or even later. Lunch,
similarly, can stretch until 4pm. More and more Spaniards
are living alone and, consequently, sales of convenience
food are rising. Similarly, the taste for fast food grows;
every town now has its burger bar.Making a meal of it
Breakfast.A cup of strong black coffee and something
sweet like a cookie or ensaimada, a yeasted sweet bread
from Majorca, is the norm. A magdalena, a type of cupcake,
has dunkability, while croissants have also found their way
to the breakfast table.Lunch.La comidaremains the main meal of the Spanish
day and rarely takes place before 2pm, or even later at
weekends. Plan to be in it for the long haul with multiple
courses: a typical lunch menu involves soup (vegetable or
seafood), a fish or meat course, salad and dessert (pastry or
fresh fruit), followed by coffee and perhaps even a brandy.Evening meal.La cenais usually a lighter affair – think
soup or tapas– and normally starts around 9pm, often
stretching through until midnight.Meriendais a bit like
afternoon tea, except it’s
usually a cup of coffee
and a piece of cake,
taken around 4pm after
a siesta.Breakfast in Madrid
In Madrid eating churros,
deep-fried pastry, and a
thick hot chocolate for
breakfast, particularly
after a heavy night out,
has taken on cult status.
The special chocolate
bars used to make the
drink can be bought in
the supermarket and
melted with milk.
Tr a d i t i o n a l l y t h e
ingredients should be
chocolate, water and
cornstarch. If the spoon
doesn’t stand up in it, the
drink isn’t thick enough.Spaniards are the least
likely diners in Europe to
take food away.7.1.4 Food rituals: eating habits,
festivals and buying food
v4 SPAIN BOOK 27/3/08 10:05 Page 281