Another fun thing I did with Debbie and David (Miles opted out), was to go on a food tour in the Huertas neighborhood of Madrid.
Here's a sample of some of our "tastes":
Jamon (pronounced "hamon") or ham, is THE specialty of Madrid. You see legs of ham in shops all over town and can run into the hundreds of dollars per leg. Our guide said her family can go through a leg in a couple of weeks, eating very thin slices every day.
Next cultural experience: FLAMENCO!
We went to a flamenco club in the outskirts of Madrid that offered a dance lesson, dinner and a show. The place was started by Melodie, originally from England, who has lived in Madrid for 20 years and is a flamenco maven.
We sat with her for about a 1/2 hour and she told us all about the history, movements, clothes and styles of flamenco. We then had about 15 minutes to try and learn to clap and stamp our feet in a coordinated fashion. Not easy! There's much more to flamenco than meets the eye.
Until recently, flamenco shoes came only in black, but as you can see, they are now available in many colors, some even with embroidery.
Here's a sample of some of our "tastes":
We tasted porras, similar to churros, but made with baking powder which makes the churros puffier. This is a breakfast treat and the custom is to dip the parros in warm syrupy chocolate. I didn't think I'd like it, but it was DELICIOUS!
Chocolate and porras
Jamon (pronounced "hamon") or ham, is THE specialty of Madrid. You see legs of ham in shops all over town and can run into the hundreds of dollars per leg. Our guide said her family can go through a leg in a couple of weeks, eating very thin slices every day.
Jamon (Iberian and Serrano) and beef jerky
Nothing's more Spanish than tapas! The word ‘tapa’ in Spanish means ‘lid’. It is thought that tapas
originated when drinks were served out in the dusty open air. The
theory goes that people used bits of bread to put over their drinks and
keep them clean, and things gradually developed from there. Basically, tapas are just very small portions/bites of food, with or without the bread base, usually eaten in a crowded bar. In some restaurants you can get the same selection tapas-size or a full portion.
Sample of smoked pork belly on the left--on the right are veggie options on home-made bread
Another sample of tapas (tostas): cheese and ham, shrimp, sun-dried tomatoes, onions and a cluster of potato chips
We also tried a variety of olives, jams, honeys, olive oil, vermouth, wine, cheesecake, home made potato chips, bread and cheeses. Wonderful, delicious and filling!
Next cultural experience: FLAMENCO!
We went to a flamenco club in the outskirts of Madrid that offered a dance lesson, dinner and a show. The place was started by Melodie, originally from England, who has lived in Madrid for 20 years and is a flamenco maven.
We sat with her for about a 1/2 hour and she told us all about the history, movements, clothes and styles of flamenco. We then had about 15 minutes to try and learn to clap and stamp our feet in a coordinated fashion. Not easy! There's much more to flamenco than meets the eye.
Melodie, our teacher, performer and waitress
Melodie and two other wonderful dancers
I expected to see the dancers using castanets, but Melodie said they are usually used in other types of Spanish folk dances, not flamenco.
Flamenco dresses for sale
Until recently, flamenco shoes came only in black, but as you can see, they are now available in many colors, some even with embroidery.
Everyone who has been to Spain loves the food. Buen Provecho
ReplyDeleteie Bon appetite M&M
Food, glorious food! Love those flamenco shoes too.
ReplyDelete