You left out the Spanish chorizo (not to be confused with Mexican chorizo) … probably the grossest thing ever. But, in general, the food was way better than here. And fresh. Their culture of daily grocery shopping was really interesting, and made for the best food ever, every night. Unless you had chorizo, of course.
For a few years now, foodies across the USA have been saying that Spanish food is the new high-class Italian; easy to make, yet nuanced and (when authentic) adventurous. I’m here to say that after living in Barcelona for a year, those recipes you see in Saveur aren’t quiet what they serve on the Peninsula. While I miss a lot of things, including Nutella’s much tastier sibling Nocilla and croquetas, the things I do not miss include morcilla, magdalenas, white asparagus in a can and bacalao. For those of you who wish you could still eat Spanish favorites, or want to remind yourself why your stomach is happy to be back stateside, have a look at La Tienda and Despaña Brand Foods.
