I know I'm not the only one for whom eating is synonymous with traveling. Some people come to a new city armed with loads of information about the history of the place, but I arrive with a cursory knowledge of the local food, eager to learn more. And by learn more, I mean eat.
Spain has not disappointed in this regard. There's a strong coffee culture here, so a good café con leche is never far away. My favorite food locale in any part of the world is a good bakery. There aren't as many here as I had imagined, and they don't really compare to what you'd find in France, but they're a good option for staving off the hunger you work up as you walk around. The local specialty here is the fartón, which looks like a breadstick and tastes like a doughnut. You can eat them by themselves, or enjoy them as you sip your horchata, the other local specialty. Valencian horchata is very different from Mexican horchata, which is made with rice. Here it is made with chufas, which are a tuber. It's a sweet, kind of milky drink that is usually served in small quantities. It's not necessarily refreshing, but it is delicious, and the sugar content is enough to give you the burst of energy you need to make it the rest of the way home.
I have yet to sit down for a proper lunch "menú," which includes a first dish, second dish, and coffee and dessert. It is on the agenda before I go. Last night, though, I had dinner with two other Americans, one an acquaintance from school and the other from back home. We went to a local restaurant that was recommended to me by a friend, called Trenca Dish. It happens to be right around the corner from where I'm staying, and it was delicious. We had some apps, including bacalao (cod) and I had monkfish for dinner, which I had never had. I also didn't know the Spanish name for it, so I was going in blind. It turned out to be an excellent choice, however. The best part of the meal, as is usually the case for me, was dessert, torrijas de horchata con helado de turrón. They were these fluffy, creamy concoctions made with horchata, but with a caramelized exterior. The ice cream tasted like turrón, also a local specialty, which is essentially the same as Italian torrone, or nougat with nuts.
That is another thing I've found interesting about Spain, the serious crossover of other European cultures. Gelato, which I associate with Italy, is everywhere, and then there's turrón. Bakeries are packed with croissants, which are French. In one of the bakeries, though, I found a multigrain croissant, which sounds like it can't possibly be good, but it's actually delicious. I don't know if they have that option in France now or not. One of the major local specialties, of course, is ham. It's everywhere. Since it's not something I normally eat, I can't truly appreciate it, but a butcher in the market gave me a sample and it was definitely high quality.
The fruits and veggies here are similar to home, but much cheaper, which adds to the wow factor. I've especially been enjoying the cherries and these fruits called paraguayos, which are like peaches, with a similar circumference but about a quarter of the height. I haven't had to buy much in the way of food because Carolina is an excellent cook and I get dinner every night as part of my stay. She makes a mean mint tea, which on a hot Valencian day is perfect out on the terrace.
Spain has not disappointed in this regard. There's a strong coffee culture here, so a good café con leche is never far away. My favorite food locale in any part of the world is a good bakery. There aren't as many here as I had imagined, and they don't really compare to what you'd find in France, but they're a good option for staving off the hunger you work up as you walk around. The local specialty here is the fartón, which looks like a breadstick and tastes like a doughnut. You can eat them by themselves, or enjoy them as you sip your horchata, the other local specialty. Valencian horchata is very different from Mexican horchata, which is made with rice. Here it is made with chufas, which are a tuber. It's a sweet, kind of milky drink that is usually served in small quantities. It's not necessarily refreshing, but it is delicious, and the sugar content is enough to give you the burst of energy you need to make it the rest of the way home.
I have yet to sit down for a proper lunch "menú," which includes a first dish, second dish, and coffee and dessert. It is on the agenda before I go. Last night, though, I had dinner with two other Americans, one an acquaintance from school and the other from back home. We went to a local restaurant that was recommended to me by a friend, called Trenca Dish. It happens to be right around the corner from where I'm staying, and it was delicious. We had some apps, including bacalao (cod) and I had monkfish for dinner, which I had never had. I also didn't know the Spanish name for it, so I was going in blind. It turned out to be an excellent choice, however. The best part of the meal, as is usually the case for me, was dessert, torrijas de horchata con helado de turrón. They were these fluffy, creamy concoctions made with horchata, but with a caramelized exterior. The ice cream tasted like turrón, also a local specialty, which is essentially the same as Italian torrone, or nougat with nuts.
That is another thing I've found interesting about Spain, the serious crossover of other European cultures. Gelato, which I associate with Italy, is everywhere, and then there's turrón. Bakeries are packed with croissants, which are French. In one of the bakeries, though, I found a multigrain croissant, which sounds like it can't possibly be good, but it's actually delicious. I don't know if they have that option in France now or not. One of the major local specialties, of course, is ham. It's everywhere. Since it's not something I normally eat, I can't truly appreciate it, but a butcher in the market gave me a sample and it was definitely high quality.
The fruits and veggies here are similar to home, but much cheaper, which adds to the wow factor. I've especially been enjoying the cherries and these fruits called paraguayos, which are like peaches, with a similar circumference but about a quarter of the height. I haven't had to buy much in the way of food because Carolina is an excellent cook and I get dinner every night as part of my stay. She makes a mean mint tea, which on a hot Valencian day is perfect out on the terrace.
In the Central Market.
Ham, ham, and more ham.
Cones hang from the hams to catch any falling grease.
Mojama, a kind of salted tuna.
Inside the bustling Central Market on a Saturday.
That day there was a group of painters spread throughout
the market painting scenes there.
Lima beans.
A variety of snails.
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