¡Hola (Hello), students!
I’m so excited about writing my first journal piece to you all! I hope it finds you well and that you’re having a great semester so far.
I’ve been in Spain for a month now, and every day brings something new to learn about the culture; especially through food. Living in Barcelona means there are endless things to try because it’s such a vibrant city full of tourists and locals. What comforted me when I first arrived was seeing familiar fast-food places like McDonald’s, Five Guys, Burger King, Taco Bell and Subway. Their menus are always a little different here, but seeing them helped me adjust while I began exploring Spanish cuisine.
When I first got to Spain, I dove right in and tried one of the most famous dishes: Paella (pronounced Pie-Aye-Yuh). In Spanish, the double "ll" sounds like a “y.” Paella is a rice dish made with saffron, vegetables and many different proteins: mostly seafood and/or chicken. It’s always served hot in a wide skillet pan, where the rice forms a golden, crispy crust at the bottom. I've had Paella Marinera several times. It's the seafood version.
Another popular part of Spanish cuisine is Tapas.
