For this project, I went to an authentic Spanish restaurant named Cafe Iberico. The restaurant was centered around tapas, or small dishes. The inside was covered in tile which was similar to Spain where they used tile on all the buildings and even sidewalks. The rest of the restaurant looked very genuine, with Spanish paintings hung along the wall. The restaurant had a tapas bar which presented a large display of tapas in a large glass case where people could order from the bar. The restaurant even had a small deli in the back where people could get Spanish cheese, and many types of Spanish sausage that included chorizo and morcillia (blood sausage). For my visit, my parents and I sat at a table instead of the tapas bar. The restaurant's menu was large and included a very large variety of Spanish cuisine. The menu primarily consisted of tapas, which is what most people ordered, but it also contained other traditional Spanish food like paella. The tapa part of the menu was divided into two sections cold dishes and hot dishes. The cold side consisted of lots of salads, potato dishes, and jamon. During the meal we ordered 4 dishes from the tapas menu. Tapas originated in Spain. There are many different theories as to how tapas originated. Some say it was invented by a king who had a disease that allowed him to eat only small portions of food at a time. Tapas are very popular in Spain and there are many tapa bars throughout the country. Most tapas are not eaten as a meal and are small dishes usually served with wine. The first dish we ordered was a dish called patatas alioli. The dish was a potato dish with a garlic mayonnaise sauce. It was a very rich, garlicy, dish that was very tasty, with the potatoes tasting good with the...
... middle of paper ...
...ally my dad commented on the tile work saying that “It was very similar to tile work in Spain.”
Works Cited
"A Brief History of Tapas." Vegetarian Restaurants Phoenix. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 May 2014.
"The History of Spanish Paella - The Hungry Cuban." The Hungry Cuban RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 May 2014.
Matsumoto, Marc. "Grab Some Bread and Devour Gambas Al Ajillo." PBS. PBS, 06 Nov. 2012. Web. 07 May 2014.
Morgan, KD, and Bronwyn Harris. WiseGeek. Conjecture, 07 May 2014. Web. 07 May 2014.
"Spanish Seafood Salad Recipe Jose's Version - Salpicon De Marisco De Jose." About.com Spanish Food. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 May 2014.
"Spanish Tapas Recipes & Recipes from Spain." Orce Serrano Hams Ceramics RSS2. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 May 2014.
"SpanishGood." Pan Tumaca (Bread and Tomato)- Spanish Recipes How to Make Pan Tumaca. Recipe from Spain. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 May 2014.
In the beginning, Burciaga provides a brief history when Taco Bell was established. First starting in Mexico City and then spreading throughout the United States, the chain sold “mild imitations of the real thing” (382). Many Mexican businesses and people protested against Taco Bell because unlike homemade tortillas made from hand, they used “prefabricated hard tortilla shells” (383) that tasted nothing like real Mexican tacos. Additionally, the restaurant also combines food and makes up names so that it appears different. From Enchiroto, a combination of a burrito and enchilada, to Cinnamon Crispas, known as bunuelos, Burciaga points out that “the Taco Menu can be a mystery if one is not familiar with the renamed food items” (383).
The sale of food products in the market of Tlatelolco with its various colors, shapes, smells, and sounds “unified Native American cuisines while preserving rich regional variations; [epitomized] the social relationships that depended on the feeding of gods and people; and [preserved] the cultural significance of taste for pre-Columbian cooking and eating” (9-10). Cuisine played an important part in the constructing of social hierarchies in Mesoamerica, and to this day continues to shape individuality not only in Mexico, but also for every country. Traditional forms of Mesoamerican cooking mainly belonged to women, and three simple utensils including a cazuela, a metate, and a comal, allowed them to frugally make delicious tortillas. But they “derived much of their self-worth from skill at the metate, the ability to grind maize so they could feed tortillas and tamales to their husbands and children,” (14-15). This single crop has permitted for these lower-class women to preserve and refine the pre-Columbian cuisine of tortillas and tamales. Mexicans have always been and still are a people of corn, in spite of numerous attempts to change this, partly in thanks to the female
Colombia is famous for many types of cuisine. In America, different states/areas are known for different types of food. For example, the coastline has great seafood and the south has awesome comfort food. Colombia is divided into 32 departments, or country subdivisions. Each area has unique dishes that reflect their department.
After an eventful night of dancing at nightclubs, I never expected to have the most flavorful tacos reach my mouth. At four in the morning we found ourselves at a small, local hole-in-the-wall where most tourists would not be caught dead at. Even though they were the greatest tacos I have ever had, what I ate most while I was there was tortilla soup. Topped with melted cheese and strips of fried tortillas I devoured a bowl from a place our friend Oscar worked at, Margarita Grille. I am not a soup person but this is something I still crave weekly, as well as the salsa they served. Fresh roasted tomatoes were crushed at our table and mixed with garlic, onions, jalapenos, cilantro and juices of a lime. A scoop of the colorful vegetables on a warm, salted tortilla chip will satisfy your taste buds and keep you going for more. Because Margarita Grille was only a couple blocks from our hotel in the “old town” of Puerto Vallarta, we ate there five or six times. Being an outdoor restaurant, there were always stray cats meandering around for scraps of dropped food. People were told not to feed them, but I think they were a pleasant reminder of being away from
In our chosen country , Puerto Rico, the food is slightly different compared to the United States’ food. However, there are a few similarities.
Of all the cuisines to choose from, I have decided upon the country of Spain from Europe and Laos from Asia. Lao cuisine is the closest to Hmong food, which is my ethnicity. The Hmong people do not have their own country to call their own, for example Lao people are from Laos and Spanish people are from Spain. Hmong people are not from Mongolia. Instead a majority of Hmong people resides in the mountains of Laos. Some live in Cambodia, Thailand, France, or the U.S. of A. Spain has influenced a large part of world cuisine. It’s techniques and ingredients have been intertwined with the rest of the world for thousands of years.
The typical Cuban cuisine and common food rituals have their origins mainly in Spanish dishes, like arroz con pollo (chicken and rice) and paella; pork is served in diverse forms, chicken, and rice, and seasoned with sofrito (a mix of spices).
chocolate. (Yum) Due to the popularity of tea in Spain, other drinks such as coffee and
Cilantro Tamales isn’t a typical Mexican restaurant. Upon entering you are immediately greeted with warm smiles, and are led to a bamboo chaired table with all sorts of hot sauces and other sizzling toppings to greet you. The air is filled with spices. The cinnamon and jalapeño aromas mingle and make the mood rich. Every dish on the menu seems delicious and it is always difficult to decide what to order. I always think that any dish which I don’t try gives me the excuse to come back again. Everyone who eats at Cilantro Tamales gets to have an unlimited amount of their fresh, homemade salsa with warm, salty tortilla chips. The thick chunks of tomatoes and onions with hot peppers and cilantro make a perfect combination for anyone’s taste buds. The waiters and waitresses carry immense trays burdened by the weight of great tasting meals, and each dish has enough on it to make mountains jealous. The delicious food is not the only reason Cilantro Tamales stands out. The restaurant itself is rich with culture and flavor. All the walls are a shade of bright yellow or sun burnt orange and red, which add to the Mexican feel. On the walls are historical black and white pictures of Mexico and its people which act as cultural memories of times past. The Latin and Mexican dance music can always be heard in the restaurant. I sometimes can’t help but move to its invigorating rhythm. An interesting facet to the restaurant is the hand crafted pottery.
Argentina’s cuisine includes many Spanish-style dishes that are influenced by Europe. Argentina’s culture is different in many ways from the United States’ traditions. Many people enjoy learning and experiencing the new culture and landscape, especially the food!
I don’t really like chiles, but because it bears a lot of health benefits, my mindset with the chiles have changed. “The Joy of Jalapeños” written by Jose Antonio Burciaga, an author and a Chicanismo expert, is an essay that talks about the author’s personal relation with the jalapeños, where he demonstrates the various kinds of health benefits of the chiles, the Chicano’s masochistic cuisine and culture, and his own analysis about it. And through his own experiences, and thoughtful and careful examination of scientific evidence about the health benefits of a jalapeños, Burciaga have persuaded me into consuming more jalapeños.
Conchas (Mexican Sweet Bread) is also known as Pan Dulce translates to “Sweet Bread” in English and is not indigenous food in Mexico. Conchas are seashells and are the most iconic of Mexican pan dulce, consisting of domes covered in a puzzle of crystallized sugar squares (lamag.com). In Mexico from my personal experiences every time we had Conchas we had to have hot chocolate with them. It’s like making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich you must have both the peanut butter and jelly or else it just won’t taste the same. I went to Mexico in 2007 and every other day we had both freshly made Conchas and hot chocolate. My family in Mexico was so lucky they had a Panaderia (Mexican Bread Bakery) down the street from their house. Not only are Conchas for breakfast but also I have seen them on Christmas Eve parties, and for my
The Spanish eating, drinking and dancing culture steps up a gear (if that's possible), when there's a festival on. Every town or village has a local fiesta, at which point the locals don't just eat and drink because it's fun, they do so because it would be un-Spanish not to.
The tapa is a way to sample a variety of Spanish foods. This method of eating is the cornerstone of Spanish cuisine. A tapa is a small dish of food, similar to an appetizer in the United States. Mainly in bars, they are served throughout the day. No single food makes up a tapa; it can be seafood, vegetables, or meat. Tapas normally are eaten primarily at two times of the day. The first is at or around 1:00pm for an early-afternoon snack. Normally, tapas are served prior to a large afternoon ...
The movie “The Hundred Foot Journey” is a great representation of different cultures interacting as well as the different food habits. The movie is based on an Indian family who moves to Italy and wants to open an Indian restaurant across street from a famous Italian restaurant in the small town. The Kadam family wants to bring the Indian cuisine to a new culture and share some of their values. They have trouble expanding their culinary delights to the public because Marquerite the sous-chef doesn’t want any competition. Throughout the movie, secrets on certain dishes are shared and tricks to improve the certain style of food is greatly appreciated by both restaurant chefs.