La comida

I should be doing homework or cleaning or cooking or something. But I just saw some of the new Sevilla students through facebook and heard stories and now I'm sad and reminiscing. So instead, I'm blogging. Plenty of time later for homework....


I love to eat. If you couldn't tell this from my previous blog posts (of which I think about 90% mention food), you will now know. I was nervous going to Spain, because I had heard not-so-great things about the food from friends who had studied there before. But apparently I picked the right area to travel to, because the food was much better than I had been led to believe it would be. My friend Annie studied in Segovia (closer to Madrid-in the middle of the country) and she says that literally 90% of the meals she was served consisted of pork. Not that I have anything against pork, but I like a little variety. There is plenty of pork eaten in Sevilla too, as evidenced by the jamón legs hanging in stores and in kitchens. But fortunately my host mom preferred to cook other things.

Here are some things that you should definitely eat while in Sevilla/Spain:
-Tortilla española. Get any thought of flat, boring, flour Mexican tortillas out of your brain. This is a dish made of eggs, potatoes and onions. I don't like onions. I don't really like eggs. But I love tortilla española.


-Patatas bravas. This is a traditional tapas dish and is made of fried potato wedges with a sauce on it that is a bit tomato-y and spicy and I don't know what else. But its delicious.

-Jamón. I don't actually really like it all that much. But you have to try it as the country is known for it. If you just can't handle eating it on its own, get a jamón bocadillo (sandwich) as its quite good in that form.

-Tostada. Just plain ole toast. Go to a bar/cafe and order tostada for breakfast. You can get it with butter (mantequilla), jelly (mermelada), tomato, olive oil (aceite), jamón, etc. I don't know what it is, but the bread is so good and it just makes a perfect breakfast.

-CHURROS. Again, these are not Mexican churros. They are deep-fried goodness. You can get it with chocolate (which you should, the chocolate is to die for), but honestly I preferred to eat them just with sugar sprinkled on them. My mouth is watering just thinking about it.


-Boquerones. Fried little fishies. Like sardines or anchovies or something. You just eat the whole thing, bones and all if they are the small ones. Can hardly tell there are bones. If they are larger, you might want to avoid the bones as they are kind of unpleasant. I was pretty scared to eat these at first, but because my friend Sofie swore they were the best thing ever, I tried them. And love them.

-Paella. Sevilla isn't number one for paella. But you still must try it. Rice, seafood, meat, yum. Just whatever you do, don't go to one of the places that has a sign outside the door showing all the kinds of pre-made paella junk they have. Go to a place that serves it "casera" style (home-made). Get a tapa portion if you're nervous, although sometimes that means its kind of old and not as fresh. Just try it.

-Gazpacho. Cold tomato/cucumber/veggie soup. Sounds gross, but its quite refreshing on a hot day. You can eat it just plain, but my host mom served it with diced cucumber and hard-boiled egg, which made it even better. You can also try salmorejo, which is just a thicker, smoother version. I never actually tried that but heard it was good.
-Pork. It is so good there. Try "solomillo" which is a cut of the pork (don't ask which cut, I have no idea)-you can get it with whisky sauce which is really good. "Pluma" is amazing too. It's so tender and delicious. Maybe a little fatty, but that's what makes it so good.
-Bacalao. Cod. I don't like it. But it's everywhere and worth a try I think. Make up your mind for yourself. The fried version isn't half bad. But if you are served a whole cod with onions and tomatoes, that was cooked in the microwave by your host mom....well, that's not my favorite.
-Patatas fritas con huevo-French fries with an egg. They love their eggs in Spain. It sounds weird, but is oddly good.
-Croquetas. Deep-fried goodness. Its like a little ball of mush that is deep-fried. You can get spinach ones, ham ones, cheese ones...try one of each.
-Cheese. Manchego cheese is delish.
-Pastries. Try any kind that strikes your fancy. And eat them often.
-Ice cream. You can get fig, chocolate, nutella and everything in between.

-Arroz con leche. Basically rice pudding. Cinnamonny and sweet and so good.
-Soup. I don't know if its any good in the restaurants. But if its anything like my host mom's, you will never want to eat anything else in your life. Made with all kinds of meat (don't ask whats in it, just eat it), they make the soup and then take the meat out to eat later. My soups would usually have some sort of beans (garbanzo, giant other kinds, lentils, whatever) and veggies and yummy meaty broth. I want some right now. (The meat that it is cooked with on the other hand...I'll pass. Although you really should try it at least once, it's not nearly as bad as it looks.)
-Espinacas con garbanzos-garbanzo beans with spinach. Eat it with bread or just plain. Pretty delish and a traditional Sevillan dish.
-Oranges. Eat all the oranges you can. Don't stop eating them. (As long as you don't try the ones growing on the street-I hear those will make you sick...).





-Convent sweets. Go into every convent you can find and get dulces ("sweets"). Especially magdalenas-sweet muffiny things. Don't skip the magdalenas. But also try other things, whatever looks good.






These were some of my favorite things. Try them all, and try them often. But really, just go into pretty much any eating establishment and try whatever they've got. I pretty much guarantee it will be amazing.


Oh but we aren't done yet. Here are some things to drink.


-Cruzcampo. Sevilla's beer. Its actually not that great, but you've got to try it. Each area of Spain has their own beer. Cruzcampo is pretty much all you can get in Sevilla, but you can find other things here and there. Make sure its really cold. You can order a "caña" (small glass), botella or jarra-giant glass. Or you can go buy a 40 at a grocery store.



-Manzanilla-white wine from Sanlúcar de Barrameda. Our friend Gerardo's hometown is known for this wine and he had us try some. It was delicious. It's possible I just liked it because I had already had a lot to drink. But either way, I'd drink it again.


-Rioja-red wine. There are a lot of versions of Rioja, but they are all supposedly pretty good. Not a big red wine fan, but some of it really is good.

-Tinto de verano. You can get this at any bar and it is red wine mixed with fanta. Literally. You can get it with "casera" which is just sparkling water, or with lemon or orange fanta. It sounds gross. But is quite delicious and refreshing. And doesn't even taste very wine-y.
-Agua de Sevilla-I don't really know what it is, but is a giant "jarra" (pitcher) of a mix of all kinds of things. With whipped cream on top.
-Fresh-squeezed orange juice. See above note about oranges. This stuff is to die for. A lot of bar/cafes (they are usually one in the same) have orange-squeezer things. And they will serve you up a fresh glass of orange juice with a packet of sugar, just in case you like it sweetened a little.
-If nothing listed above strikes your fancy, you can always order a Coca-Cola or a "vaso de agua" (glass of water). We aren't in a third-world country here. Its okay to drink the water. If you just ask for "agua" you will get charged for a bottle of water. If you ask for a "vaso de agua" they will bring you a nice cold glass of tap water, which tastes just fine.

Now that you know what to eat, let's talk about where.
For TAPAS:
-Eslava. Super busy but oh so good.
-Los Coloniales. There are a couple of them in Sevilla and they have some amazing stuff on the menu. Think roquefort cheese with blackberry sauce. Or "calamari del jardín," tempura-d peppers, onions, etc. that look like calamari.
-Los Claveles. My friends went here once and made quick friends with the owner, Santiago (I think, I only met him once). From then on, every time we would walk by he would call out their names and wave. Adorable. Oh yeah, they also have good food. Try the cheese with "cabello de ángel" (angel hair), or a sweet sauce made by the nuns consisting of some sort of squash. Weird, but good.


-El Rinconcillo-the oldest bar in Sevilla. We're talking like 400 years here. You've got to go try it.



-Levies-bright and fun and a little bit touristy looking, but with lots of locals also, its got a good menu.


Bars are always packed in the evening. You may have to eat standing at the bar or outside or at the tall tables they have around. Don't be afraid to just push your way in and grab the first spot you can find. The waiters won't waste their time talking about specials and how your day was. They'll ask what you want and if you aren't ready, they'll come back later. But don't be put off by that. Just figure out what you want and ask for it.

For a full meal:
Well, I pretty much only ate meals at home. So if Angeles Navarro Garcia invites you to her house for lunch, DO NOT PASS IT UP.

Otherwise, here are some of the places we ate:
-ConTenedor. So. good. We had tea here a few times but did go in for dinner our last night in Sevilla. And then wondered why we hadn't eaten there before. It is so amazing and the menu changes quite often and the staff is like a little family. Delish.

-Nomada-for pizza. And amazing desserts.
-Restaurants at the Feria food market. Get the freshest fish around. Try boquerones here.

That's pretty much it as far as "meals" go. But usually we would just go order enough tapas to make a meal. So, again, go into any bar you stumble across and order a few (or 10) plates of tapas. That way you get to try lots of little different things for cheap and figure out what you like.

Drinking
I didn't go "out" nearly as much as the rest of the group. So I'm sure they have better recommendations. But I think most of the bars in Sevilla are pretty legit. Just wander in (or push your way in), order a cerveza and have fun. Just expect it to be smoky and crowded. But that's why its fun, right?!
Bars:
As stated above, Rinconcillo and Los Claveles are both great. So is:
-Anima-for some "vino caliente" or hot wine. So good. I can't even explain what it is, and it isn't anything Spanish at all (the owner is Austrian), but is amazing.
-Indie bar on Calle Betis (across the river) for some chupitos (shots) and fun music.
Discotecas
Well...I never went to one. Tried to a couple times. Ended up either getting lost, getting there to late, or changing our minds. But I kept hearing people talking about "Buddah." By Plaza de Armas mall/bus station. Sounded pretty cool, everyone seemed to have fun there. If you are a guy, do not try getting in if you are wearing jeans and sneakers. You've got to step it up a little. And girls, put on a cute dress or a nice top and heels and you'll be fine.

Tea.
-Douchka. Don't ever go anywhere else. Order the Boolywood tea. Eat the sugar cubes plain. Enjoy the little pastry goody that they serve with it. Stay for hours. Go back day after day. Love.

-Also, order "te con leche" at a bar. You might get tea with a little pitcher of steamed milk to pour in as you wish. OR you might get a glass of steamed milk with a tea bag in it. Either way, its good.

Sweets
CHURROS
-Go to the place on Calle Cano y Cueto. We walked by this every day on our way to the university. And every once in a while got a package of churros. Actually we only did this twice. But they are the best churros ever. Its a tiny little place, and all they do is sell churros and chips. It's sandwiched in between two big restaurants and is easy to miss behind all the umbrellas and tables. But find it. Get the little churros, not the big ones. Otherwise, churros just about anywhere are pretty good. Sprinkle some sugar on them and enjoy.

PASTRIES
-Calle Santa Maria la Blanca has the best pastry shop ever. Its really close to the churro place. Get them both in one day if you're feeling the need for sweets. It's called like Doncella's or something, from what I can read off of the photo I took of one of the sweets we got there. Its usually crowded with people getting their bread for the week. But squeeze in and get a pastry. You'll be glad you did.


CONVENT GOODIES
-Convento de Madre de Dios. Get the magdalenas. Get 5 bags of them. Eat them all in one sitting. Preferably with a cup of coffee or tea. These things are so good, you just can't miss them. They are sweet muffin/cupcake things that are so plain and simple yet so amazingly delicious. They come in a bag of 10 or 12 for 4 euros, and if you're lucky you'll get them when they are warm. Pretty much all the convents sell magdalenas. But I tried three different ones, and this is just the best. Also good are the "bocaditos de almendras" and the something-"arabes." But I guarantee you won't try anything you don't like.


ICE CREAM
-Rayas. They have a million flavors. And they are all amazing.

-There is also a place in the Feria market that is "organic" and is possibly the best ice cream in the world. So fresh and flavorful and just amazing.

STREET GOODIES
-Go to any little stall on the street (they are all painted green and sell magazines, newspapers, souvenirs, goodies...) and get a 1 euro bag of gummies. Avoid the banana-flavored ones.

-Also go to a street vendor and try some roasted chestnuts. You have to peel them apart to eat them, but they are so good. They are giant, so don't get too many!



Oh what I would do for some Spanish food right now. I know I'm leaving out a lot. But this is the best of the best from my experience. So enjoy! I will add more to this as I think of things!