Cuisine is undoubtedly one of the distinctive cultural features that attract tourists to Spain. Integrating the essence of Mediterranean cooking, it is widely acclaimed by gourmets from all over the world. Spaniards are cheerful, generous, and passionate, and their diet is equally bold and spicy. Friends who immigrate to Spain will be pleasantly surprised to encounter some Spanish delicacies that resemble "Northeast Chinese cuisine," "Sichuan cuisine," or "soy milk, fried dough sticks, and flatbreads," as if they were eating a taste of home with an exotic twist.
Madrid's "Mixed Stew"
In fact, the full name of this "mixed stew" at the Villa restaurant in Madrid is "Madrid Chickpea Stew," also known as "Cocido Madrileño." However, the ingredients here are truly rich: chicken breast, chicken leg, lean meat, pork skin, fatty pork, blood sausage, and Spanish chorizo. After all, lean meat alone lacks flavor; it must have some fat to be delicious. Pickled cucumbers, pickled peppers, and raw scallion whites serve as appetizers or as side dishes for the main course to cut through the greasiness. In addition, the restaurant also provides stir-fried olives, and the seasoning includes vinegar in addition to the common olive oil. Although this vinegar looks dark in appearance, very much like the balsamic or aged vinegar commonly used in China, it has a very strong kick, with a pungent white vinegar scent the moment you smell it.
After the appetizers, the soup is served. At the time, we did not know the ingredients of the stew, but the rich aroma of the soup seemed to foreshadow the taste of the main course. The soup also contained Italian macaroni, but it was a thinner variety, very similar to China's "dragon beard noodles." However, the "dragon beard" here was not long; it was short, and a spoonful could scoop up quite a lot, so let's call it "short-tail dragon beard noodle soup." When the main course arrived, we realized the "heaviness" of the ingredients: half a catty of chicken breast and leg meat, half a catty of lean meat, half a catty of pork skin and fatty pork, half a catty of blood sausage and Spanish chorizo, half a catty of tender potatoes and carrots, one catty of Madrid chickpeas and Chinese cabbage, plus half a catty of complimentary bread. This was not just a portion for two; it would likely be enough for four. Furthermore, there were chocolate balls and potato chip-like cookie desserts served after the meal, which were crispy and delicious.
Barcelona's "Sausage and Ham"
What I never expected was that some dishes in Barcelona are somewhat similar to Sichuan cuisine; thousands of miles away, it seemed as if the flavors of home had drifted over. There are restaurants near Plaça de Catalunya and the City Hall, and we chose one that was bustling with customers to have a taste.
The sausages here also looked dark red from a distance and were hung in the center of the lobby. The ham was the same, looking very tempting. Moreover, a small upside-down umbrella was added to the bottom of each ham. At first, we thought it was for decoration, but then we realized it had another clever use—it was used to catch the dripping oil. However, compared to Sichuan cured sausages, the sausages here are saltier and suitable for eating with bread. Although chili is added, it is not that spicy. Therefore, the shrewd shopkeepers also make them into sausage bread skewers, skewered with toothpicks, at 1 Euro per skewer, which are also very popular.
The restaurant's menu also features grilled peppers and grilled vegetables, which we also tried. The peppers are green, small in size, with thick flesh, and sprinkled with large grains of coarse salt on top. The taste is good, but the spiciness is not quite enough. Perhaps for natives from Sichuan like us, ordinary peppers are long unable to satisfy. The grilled vegetables also tasted good, full of aroma and reasonably matched; onions, tomatoes, eggplants, green peppers, red peppers, and potatoes were all top choices. However, compared to the 1-yuan-per-skewer barbecue found on the streets of Chengdu, the 5-skewer portion here cost 10 Euros, equivalent to 80 RMB, about 16 times the price in China. Even so, we still gave the elderly waiter a sufficient tip, and he smiled and thanked us repeatedly.
Madrid's "Fried Dough Sticks and Soy Milk"
"Can you still eat fried dough sticks in Madrid? This is simply incredible." If you ask a local Chinese person, they would likely give you this answer. But the fact is, Madrid does have fried dough sticks, but they are made in the local Spanish style.
In fact, before arriving in Madrid, we had discovered this fried dough stick shop located in the city center from a travel guide, but at first, we didn't pay much attention and headed straight to the next attraction. However, the aroma of the fried dough sticks reached our noses, as if it were a scent from our distant motherland. So, we turned back. Although it was just past noon and our stomachs were quite full, we decided to order a portion to try. This old shop, called Chocolatería San Ginés, is located in the alley behind the Church of San Ginés. It is very inconspicuous, but it is famous in many classic travel guides such as "Lonely Planet." The old shop is not large, but it is divided into two floors. The lower floor is a basement, and the entrance is surrounded by records of many celebrities who have visited, with many photos already yellowed. Moreover, there are extra seats at the entrance, with a standard configuration of two chairs and a coffee table; the only two seats with sunlight were already occupied.
A set meal includes 6 fried dough sticks and a cup of hot chocolate, and the price is not expensive. After paying, the waiter will bring the fried dough sticks dipped in hot chocolate to your chosen seat. The fried dough sticks here are not very long, about 30 centimeters, while some in China can reach 50 centimeters. They are solid and thinner, only one-third the size of those in China, but they taste very fragrant, and paired with the rich hot chocolate, they are quite sweet. However, I personally think it is slightly inferior to the Chinese combination of fried dough sticks and soy milk, as soy milk is light, and the two paired together are often not tiring to eat. But this, if you eat too much, it becomes a bit greasy. Sure enough, several customers around us did not finish theirs. Perhaps it was fate; the next morning, the breakfast at the hotel where we stayed provided soy milk—the taste was exactly the same as soy milk, but unfortunately, it was cold.
Mallorca's "Flatbread"
Spain's "Papas" are well-known. In my impression, South America also seems to have Papas; I wonder if it was introduced to Spain from the Americas, or introduced to the Americas by Spanish colonization? To put it plainly, Papas is a type of flatbread with toppings. In Italy, we call it "pizza"; in China, especially in the Northeast, we call it scallion pancake or egg pancake. In fact, the definition of a pancake determines their common main ingredient, which is flour; while the preceding scallion or egg are modifiers, counted as auxiliary ingredients. The toppings of Papas are different from pizza; pizza is mainly meat, such as beef, pork, and even seafood, etc. We tasted Papas for the first time in the town of Sóller on the island of Mallorca. It was noon, and Spanish restaurants were not open. The occasional two that were open only provided cold bread, which is hard for Chinese people who are used to eating at noon to accept. So, unwilling to go hungry, we chose Papas. Although it had been prepared long ago, like a "cold dish," the Papas topped with red pepper strips still tasted delicious. The red peppers seemed to have been grilled, becoming soft and delicate, the saltiness was just right, and the bread base was also very good, enough to fill our stomachs.
In addition, the price of Papas is not expensive; it is sold by the piece. Two pieces of Papas are about half a catty, costing 5 Euros, which is cheap and good. The second time we tasted Papas was in Palma, where the Papas were made into skewers, with small pieces of grilled bread topped with shrimp, chorizo, eel, olives, etc., at 1 Euro per skewer, which was also very good.