Spain is known for their two most famous cuisines, being Tapas, and Paellas. I had only known a little about what these two dishes were, but I was determined to find places where I could try them. The first time I went out for Tapas I was with my friend from The Netherlands. We were sitting outside the main plaza of the city, enjoying some of the street entertainment that you can find all over. We took a few minutes trying to figure out what to order, but really for me I was trying to know what I was even doing. I had no idea how big or small a tapa is, so I waited for my friend to order first. So Tapas are pretty much big appetizers. What I saw many people do, and what I did myself, was that a couple people or a group of people would go out for tapas, in which they would all either agree on a few, or everyone order one that they like, and then everyone shares from all of the tapas. So in a group of 4, we may decide on 4 tapas, and they will bring them out one at a time. Depending on the tapa, it could be filling. My favorite, though, was the Patatas Bravas, which were simply sliced potato wedges with some amazing sauces poured onto it. I think I ordered those three times! Whenever you ask your friends if they want to go out for tapas, you feel like you really are trying to live the lifestyle of a Spanaird. I definitely recommend trying it out, but make sure you order something that will fill you too! You don’t want to pay for a full meal and feel like you’ve barely eaten. If that does happen, it is okay because the food was very affordable actually. I was surprised to see the amount of food for the price you paid. Now for the Paellas, I attended a school activity in which we did a Paella cooking workshop! I volunteered to be one of the two chefs, and I would encourage everyone to volunteer if you have the chance for anything like that. They would explain to me what it is that I will be doing, and over the course of an hour I got to mix chicken, multiple beans, sauce, rice, and bring together a wonderful dish. Originally, Paellas were made just outside of Valencia. The original paellas used conejo (rabbit) as the meat rather than shrimp or chicken. For the purposes of the school workshop, though, we did chicken, and it was scrumptious! That was the first meal in Spain where I actually felt stuffed, and I don’t regret eating as much as I did. That encouraged me to order one on my last night. I went to a restaurant named Baltazar, and had my last patatas bravas, and my last paella. Typically, you will order them in sizes to feed 2, 4, 6, or 8 people. I ordered the 2 person size, and I must say I was able to eat it all, but would have preferred to have a little help. It was nice being able to order in sizes though, because if you can get a few people to share a paella and maybe a tapa, you’re dining fancy in Valencia! The last thing I want to bring attention to is the ham. You will eat ham in Valencia, and there is no way around it. I am not a huge fan of ham, but I learned to like it very quickly because it was really all over. It ended up not being a problem for me, but it did catch me off guard. So, in Valencia, make plans to go out for Tapas, share a paella, and make room for the ham!
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