To start, paella is a traditional dish throughout Spain, but which originated in...Valencia! Paella is created slightly differently depending on the region it is from. In my cooking course, we had the opportunity to make this speciality in two different ways: first, we made a Meditarrean version with prawns and squid and then we made a vegetable version with chicken and green beans. In addition to the paella, it is typical to socialize over tapas (appetizers). These can include patatas bravas, which are spicy Spanish potatoes with alioli sauce, calamares (calamari or squid), croquetas, which are deep-fried breadcrumbed "pockets" that contain creamy ham or chicken inside, pulpo a feira, which is octopus over potatoes and ham and cheese with oiled baguettes are common as well. What I have noticed while living here is that the diet is comparable to the U.S., yet the speciality dishes here are centered around seafood due to Valencia being located on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. In my host home, we especially eat a lot of bread, potato and egg. The Spanish tortilla consists of egg and potato and some argue that onion is necessary as well.
