That has become a bit of a joking phrase amongst the group
of us. At every main meal, we get multiple baskets of bread placed on our
tables and they are constantly refilled or replaced with more bread. The bread
is sliced into medium sized pieces from the original long stick of bread, so
it’s easy to just rip the piece up and eat it all bit by bit while talking with
friends and waiting for the menu options. There are also many sauce options to
spread on the bread: the infamous aioli sauce, which is a creamy white sauce
that tastes primarily like garlic sauce; the delicious and refreshing tomato
sauce, which is nothing like ketchup and is literally mushed tomatoes and some
olive oil; the classic olive oil and balsamic vinegar pairing is also
available; and so many more!
When we go on group outings and have to eat lunch on the
road, or when it is time for tapas, there is more time to have más pan. This is
because of the various bocadillo
options available. These bocadillo
sandwiches are made with the same bread that is sliced up at all restaurants –
kind of like a baguette but softer – and they are filled with different forms
of protein and sometimes a piece of lettuce or tomato.
When I go to the supermarket during the day, I constantly
see people buying bread: the long Spanish bread, croissants, small loaves and
buns – savory with tomatoes or olives, or sweet with chocolate – individually
picked or packaged in bundles. It is definitely not strange to see people walk
out of a market or café holding an entire loaf of bread or a stick of bread.
The abundant and varied bread and pastry selection in all the cafés are freshly
baked each morning, and there are panaderías
everywhere. What’s more, those giant sticks of bread all cost a ridiculously
small amount: each stick has, without fail, been less than 1 Euro at every
place we’ve stopped at to shop. This makes sense considering the amount of
bread that gets baked and consumed each day, whether from a family or from a
restaurant.
Upon
coming to Spain, I expected dishes such as paella
or gazpacho or even jamón, but having bread as the staple
food was not something I was aware of. It will be extremely interesting to
return to the States and not have bread at every meal, at every corner, and also
to have bread that costs more than 1 dollar!
-- Adeline :)
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