Comida

Every country is known for having different kinds of foods. America is the land of bugers and fries, Italy is home to pizza and speghetti, and Mexico is known for its tacos and enchilladas. What then, is Spain known for? Many peoply mistakenly think that since both Mexico and Spain are Spanish-speaking countries, they possess many of the same cultural standards. After my early morning arrival in Spain, I was highly anticipating my first Spanish meal. In the arms of the server was a larger-than-life bowl filled to the brim with spaghettis the size of rice grains in yellow, brown and orange colors. On top of the mound were six huge shrimp, which had not been peeled. They looked like miniature lobsters, with their eyes bulging right out at me. Never before had I had to peel my own shrimp, and was astonished at how quickly my boyfriend was able to do it; it was like it was second nature for him. At every single restuarant in America I had ever been to, the shrimp was peeled before it was served to you. Next, when I tried the pasta dish, I found it very bland, since it had no sauce. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't something that I would pick to eat on my own. My boyfriend recommended that I put lemon juice on it, it was his favorite. After my first bite, I immediately regretted doing so. I did not like the taste of it one bit.
That same night, we went out to a restuarant to eat with his family. I'm glad to say that that meal was more enjoyable for me. But what surprised me did not happen when they brought out the food, but when they brought out our water. In the United States, it is common for a lemon slice to be perched on the rim of a water glass. Many people leave it there, and many people squeeze the lemon juice into their water. Imagine my thouhts when my boyfriend took his lemon slice, put the whole thing in his mouth, chewed and swallowed it. What more, but he didn't make a face! If I had even touched the tip of my tongue to a lemon, the sourness would overwhelm me. When I asked if he didn't think that the lemon was sour, he responded by saying, "My whole family eats lemons." His dad then proceeded to do the same.