A Russian tourist identified five dishes that Spanish people eat daily, and Russians eat only in restaurants and/or on holidays. Among them are jamon and other dishes of the appetizing cuisine of a southern European country, the traveler said in her blog on Yandex.Zen.
Firstly, these are national Spanish dishes and tapas and pinchos. In Russia they are not popular, but in hot Spain they are eaten every day. “Tapas can be any snack: nuts, chips, olives, but they also call a dish that resembles a small sandwich, similar to Italian bruschettas. They are popular in Russia, unlike tapas. Snacks are distinguished by their eccentricity and unusual combination of ingredients. Tapas are served as a “warm-up” before the main course or taken in addition to drinks. Pinchos is about the same, only with a skewer, and the design is more sophisticated,” the author explained the difference.
Pinchos in Spain is also consumed as an everyday dish, while in our country it is found only in Spanish restaurants and not in every city. According to the Russian woman, this appetizer did not take root in Russia due to the high price of the products from which the dish is prepared. Another thing is the common Italian bruschetta, it is better known to our compatriots.
Second, olives. For some Russians, olives on the festive table are an indispensable ingredient for wine and an attribute of table decoration. The Spaniards themselves are crazy about olives, so the fruits of the olive tree are eaten there almost every day as a snack with any dish. According to the blogger, bread is a similar product for Russians. “Perhaps the excessive consumption of olives in Spain is directly related to the frequency of drinking. Spaniards can drink wine even for breakfast, and then for lunch. Not to mention dinner, she thought.
Third, paella. This is another traditional Spanish dish. Most often it is prepared with special rice and seafood. And to create a special aroma and taste, seasoning with expensive saffron is added, thanks to which the dish acquires a rich, unique taste and aroma. At the same time, not every Russian has tried this popular Spanish dish. Russian housewives do not cook overseas paella at home, but they can order it in a restaurant. As the author noted, there is a lot of trouble with the dish: you need special dishes, seasonings and seafood, which are quite expensive in our country. For citizens of the Russian Federation, this is a festive cuisine, and not at all everyday as in Spain.
Fourthly, jamon, whose history goes back more than two millennia. “A dried pork ham called jamon is hard to find in Russia – they are sold exclusively in specialized stores,” a compatriot said. We add that after the introduction of the Russian food embargo, some domestic producers learned how to make jamon, several of them even received Spanish certification, but mass production is a disaster. One of the reasons for this is that Iberica pigs are not imported to us.
“They are expensive and don’t last long. Not everyone can afford such a delicacy. Even if you take jamon in the form of ready-made cuts, it still “beats” your pocket – at least 400-500 rubles per pack of 150-200 grams, so Russians buy jamon mainly on holidays. I have not yet met a person who eats it daily for breakfast, as in the same Spain. But in Spain, sandwiches and croissants with jamon are invariably at the same price – up to 1.70 euros per piece (136 rubles at the current exchange rate),” the tourist compared.
The final dish is aged cheeses and cheeses with mold. Since cheese is considered an independent dish in Europe, it is served accordingly. “The Spaniards are very fond of aged cheeses and consume them much more often than usual. They believe that such a product has more taste and benefits. We have the most popular Russian, Dutch, Edam, Maasdam and other types, but we take aged and with mold only for holidays, ”the author drew attention and added that compatriots consider these types of cheeses a delicacy because of the high price and a good addition to alcoholic drinks that are consumed on holidays: “Unlike the Spaniards, we do not drink every day, respectively, and there is no need for this cheese.” At the same time, in a European country, blue cheese, like olives, is an everyday dish.
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