La comida y la cultura de Sevilla: A Different Culture and Cuisine

FOOD

Hola!  So, as promised, here's my blog about the distinct food of Seville.  First, a fun fact:  Despite all of the beautiful orange trees I've been telling you about, the oranges are never eaten off the tree because of their bitterness.  Instead, they are shipped off to England to make English marmalade.  Besides from the pungent oranges, the food of Spain is very unique and, oftentimes, very delicious.  Rather than eat the traditional light breakfast, progressively bigger lunch and insanely large dinner that characterize American meals, the Sevillanos prefer a fresh, small breakfast, a large lunch, and a quick, light dinner.  There is also a merienda, a snack, at around 6 o'clock, but this consists of coffee and a small pastry or nothing at all for those who would rather sleep during the siesta.  (The siesta is a resting period from 5 to 7 pm, in which most stores are closed and Sevillanos stay in their houses to nap or relax.)  Needless to say, the Sevillano schedule does not facilitate too much snacking.  Plus, by a culture of light dinners, Sevillanos are not prone to overeating.  Thus, much unlike the American public, EVERYONE in Seville, young and old alike, is fairly thin.

Breakfast, as I mentioned, is light.  The common fare consists of a plethora of fresh fruits and cheeses, as well as sliced meats and toast.  The favorite cheese of the region is definitely manchego, but there are other cheeses like the French brie and roquefort.  As for meat, well, that's the Sevillano specialty.  Almost every meal and every dish has some type of pork meat in it.  Though there is a Jewish quarter in Seville with beautiful architecture and heritage, it is now known as Santa Cruz (translated as "Holy Cross").  After the Spanish Inquisition and prior pogroms and persecutions, Seville has been mostly devoid of Jews, with the estimated population being currently less than 100, according to one of my tour guides.  So, obviously, keeping kosher is not a main concern here.  The sliced, cured meat consist of jamón (ham), chorizo (a Spanish pork sausage), a Spanish bacon, and others.  As for the fruits, the pineapple, melon and orange seem to be typical for American travellers.  Finally, every good Sevillano has to complement his breakfast with a cup or two of coffee and, maybe, a cigarette.  One interesting observation is that the coffee is good everywhere.  There are countless cafes on each street and they all have great café con leche.  Whereas in the U.S., eggs are a staple of a healthy breakfast, eggs are more of a dinner food in Seville.

Lunch, the biggest meal of the Sevillano day, is served in courses.  To start, Sevillanos usually eat a soup of beans or lentils or noodles and meat.  Of course, there is also the cold gazpacho, a thick, tomato-based soup, sprinkled with hard boiled egg slices and accented with strips of dried ham.  Next, the Sevillanos have the main entree portion of their meal.  For the main course, there is always some variant of meat, carbohydrates and veggies.  Yet, where Americans might have a salad and a sandwich, Sevillanos have a mixed vegetable amalgam with a flavored rice or potato dish and a large slab of meat.  Over my stay, I've eaten lunches with baked chicken, Spanish rice with peas, french fries and a Spanish version of ratatouille and other lunches with roast pork chops, a stewed cauliflower and tomato accompaniment, and paella.  Lunch and dinner both come with loads of fried foods.  From potatoes to calamari to fish nuggets to hard boiled eggs, if you can name it, the Sevillanos can fry it.

Finally, we come to dinner, my personal favorite at home in New York and here in Seville.  Though the smaller dinner portions in Seville might seem dissatisfying, they actually leave diners perfectly content and not overly gorged.  For dinner, most Sevillanos have a choice between the slightly larger meal at home or the more adventurous nighttime tapa hopping.   When staying at home, the Spanish dinner resembles a Spanish lunch in lower quantity.  Sevillanos dine on different seafood and, other times, huevos revueltos (scrambled eggs) with mushrooms and ham.  Yet, the tapas culture is the more exciting nighttime ritual for tourists and Sevillanos alike.  Spanish tapas consist of montaditos (little hand sandwiches) with a type of meat like chorizo, pringá (steak), or ham.  Then there are tortillas, egg and potato dishes, salads of mixed, fresh seafood or empanadas.  The empanadas are little fried dumplings filled with meat.  My personal favorite are croquetas, fried potato dumplings with bits of diced meat.  There are also dishes like lomo de cerda, a plate of tiny pork belly medallions, and other meats like roasted chicken.  Many of the delicious sandwiches are garnished with salmorejo, a creamy, tomato-based salsa.  The standard nighttime drink is either a nice liter of Cruzcampo (the delicious and crisp beer of Seville) or vino tinto (red wine).

I'm enjoying the food here, especially the tapas, and I can't wait to keep exploring the streets of el centro de Sevilla looking for delicious dining!  Next up on the blog, an explanation of the unique Spanish horario, or schedule, and the post-tapas nightlife.  Adios!