Flavors from Afar

The internet at my homestay stopped functioning so I have update my blog while at the University.

Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday were spent trying the local cuisine of Bilbao. Taking advantage of the cheap price of fruits here, I have been purchasing and eating paraguays daily. I have never had paraguays before but I've found the flavor and texture to be a cross between a nectarine and a peach. Extremely juicy and moderately sweet, they've become my favorite fruit while in Spain.

Paraguay (looks like an apple, tastes like a peach

Tuesday, I explored the local restaurants and shops around my university. My companions that day were Barbara and Emily, who guided me to a German-Spanish fusion restaurant their Spanish teacher had recommended. I can say for sure the atmosphere wasn't anything I've seen before. German flags adorned the ceiling and Spanish soccer memorabilia cluttered the walls. As for the food, Barbara and I had the "menu del dia," mine of which consisted of potato salad, tuna fish, and chocolate cake.

German-Spanish Restaurant

My companions for the afternoon

It may be useful to note that a "menu del dia" can be found at most restaurants and consists of three to four courses for a fixed price. There are usually several options for the appetizer, two to three options for the entree, and a few options for dessert. The foods I ordered were relatively common dishes that could easily be found in America; however, certain flavors stood out as distinct.

The potato salad was more liquidy than creamy, most likely due to their addition of vinegar... and lots of it. Needless to say, the salad would have been too frustrating to eat with just a fork had I not learned from the Spaniards that bread are really just mops to clean a plate. The tuna fish (which we humorously read as "bonita," which means beautiful, instead of "bonito," which means white tuna fish) was served with a tomato/pepper sauce. The quality wasn't anything too spectacular but the flavor was very tuna intense. The sauce was good, and I've found that the peppers in Spain are really flavorful and lack any spiciness that may distract from such flavor.

Can I get a spoon, please?

Bonito es bonita

Chocolate cake is chocolate cake

 Later that night, I went to this bar/restaurant that my USAC adviser recommended. They're really helpful and many of the students and teachers use them like a concierge service. I told her I wanted to try very traditional Spanish food that I would not be able to get in America. So she recommended Rio-oja, which boasts a large variety of small dishes for customers to try. It was a little bit pricey, but my money went went not only to food but to an experience of culture.

My two dishes for the night were chipirones and morros. Chipirones refers to baby squid, three of which were served in a small dish filled with boiling squid ink. The texture of more tender than most squid I've had yet still maintained that characteristic chew. The sauce was really earthy (but messy) and really delicious. I then ordered morros, which is beef mouth (although, on the menu it read "beef face"). The texture was very gelatinous and furry with a hint of chewiness here and there. The flavor was like beef and the sauce was moderately spicy. I'm not entirely sure what part of the cow's mouth I put in my mouth, although I can't say it reminded me of lengua. If anything, it was more like tripe (stomach) mixed with tendon.

Now doesn't that look appetizing?

Ever wonder what's inside a squid's head?

It's like meat jello

Furry much?

Today, I had planned to go back to Rio-oja for Round 2; however, my afternoon siesta made me tired rather than energetic. The only real highlight of today has been this sandwich place (Eme) my instructor Tim took me to. Although I couldn't get a picture of it (it was literally just a sandwich), the ingredients and flavor were unique. Like I said, the Spanish have great peppers, especially pimento, and a layer of pimento sauce coated one slice of Eme's homemade bread. The rest was ordinary sandwich ingredients (mayo, lettuce, ham, and cheese), but what stood out was the overall flavor. Although I couldn't put an exact flavor to the sandwich, thoughts of Buffalo Wild Wings's chicken wings entered my head... Oh what peppers can do to an ordinary ham & cheese sandwich.