I have to admit, when it comes to the recent debate about the state of Spanish croissants, I’ve come to the table rather late. The furore itself was sparked by a blog post by food writer Mikel López Iturriaga in early February, in which he attacked his country’s version of the croissant on several fronts: from its outrageous size and criminally stale dough, to that utterly redundant glaze that so many bakers apply. By the end of his article, the croissant was, so to speak, toast. “All these examples of baked, varnished paste which thousands of Spaniards consume for breakfast each day do not deserve to be called croissants,” he thundered. It’s a harmless enough issue to tackle, you … [Read more...] about A half-baked theory on the great croissant controversy
Archives for March 2011
Athletic Bilbao’s local lions belie football’s global trend
Athletic Bilbao’s selection policy is both its strength and an obvious demographic weakness: only players born in the area known as the “historic” Basque Country, encompassing Vizcaya, Guipúzcoa, Álava, Navarre and three French regions –or who were schooled in its youth ranks– are strictly eligible to pull on the red-and-white shirt. While this policy has been relaxed just slightly in recent years, the only sides in Spain to operate a policy anywhere near as defined by region are fellow Basques Real Sociedad and Barcelona, which currently fields a number of Catalans but also has players brought into the fold at an early age, such as Andrés Iniesta and Leo Messi. But Barça also has a … [Read more...] about Athletic Bilbao’s local lions belie football’s global trend
A new slowdown in Spain
The government wants motorists to reduce their speed to cut Spain’s fuel bill amid rising oil prices. But will forcing drivers to go 10 kph slower save anyone any money and, more to the point, cushion the impact of the North African uprisings on the Spanish economy, as the government evidently hopes? Though physics dictates that drivers would indeed see some savings, economics, unlike physics, is not an exact science and chances are that the lower speed limit on Spain’s highways, effective from today, will do little to protect the economy from rising energy costs. Instead, the rush to impose a new law reducing the highway speed limit from 120 kph to 110 kph smacks of desperation. Not … [Read more...] about A new slowdown in Spain
Bacalao
Cod preserved in thick layers of salt, providing a unique flavour and texture. Traditionally done as a way to store fish - though much of it now comes from Norway and Iceland - the dish remains popular all over Spain but especially in the Basque Country and Catalonia. In the latter region bunyola de bacalla are popular: salt cod fritters usually sprinkled with fresh parsley and a squeeze of lemon, eaten with an ice cold beer as an appetizer or main course. … [Read more...] about Bacalao
Pa amb oli / tomàquet
Bread with olive oil (pa amb oli) or bread with tomato (pa amb tomàquet)? Actually, the two dishes are usually the same - rustic bread rubbed with olive oil and tomato and seasoned with garlic and salt, perhaps topped with a slice of jamón or manchego cheese. The difference lies in the name: the former is what it is called in the Balearic Islands, the latter in Catalonia - a source of great controversy for such a simple dish. … [Read more...] about Pa amb oli / tomàquet
Paella
The iconic dish of Spain. The food version of flamenco. And, like flamenco, there are as many styles as there are people to make it. Home-cooked, anyone will tell you is always the best, though exactly what should go in and what should stay out is the source of dinner-table discussions everywhere. The main variety is familiar to nearly everyone - and a few fast-food versions have been put on restaurant menus in recent years, to the disgust of true aficionados - though there are several notable variations on the theme, including: Paella Negra: blackened with squid ink for effect and flavour. Paella Fideus: No rice, but small curly pasta (fideus) used in its place. Paella Ciega (Blind … [Read more...] about Paella
Snails
Certainly chowing down on the little brown gastropods is not to everybody's liking, though across Spain they can easily be found on restaurant and café menus and there are even a number of well-patronized snail fiestas. The molluscan delicacies are either farmed or gathered - hunted? - from the wild: the latter are usually collected in autumn after a good downpour, purged on grit for two to three weeks and then gorged on herbs before finally being cooked in a caldo (stock) - anything from garlic, ham off-cuts and herbs to simple tomato sauce. It's not fast food for sure, but it's not unusual to see the odd snail sandwich being handed to the kids. … [Read more...] about Snails
Tapas
There are now fancy tapas bars in the stylish parts of almost every city worldwide. But in Spain tapas run the gamut, from elegantly decorated prawns in honey and basil sauce to potato chips with a splodge of potato salad plonked on top. The name tapa (literally, cover) is said to originate from a small plate that was traditionally placed on top of a glass of drink. ln many bars tapas are automatically part of your drinks order – it's a surprise included in the price. It may be just a slice of bread with olive oil, a few slivers of chorizo, fuet or salchichón sausage, it might be calamares, or patatas bravas - chunky french fries in spicy tomato sauce - it could be pickled fish... you get … [Read more...] about Tapas
Xabi Alonso
The coolest man in La Liga. Alonso was one of the first Spanish players to make an impact in England’s premiership, wowing Liverpool supporters for five seasons before arriving at Real Madrid as part of Florentino Pérez’s neo-galáctico project. Less flashy than the likes of Ronaldo or Özil, the man from Tolosa is nonetheless one of the first names José Mourinho puts on the teamsheet due to his tactical nous and passing range. Not only does Alonso pick up trophies like a kleptomaniac, he also knows how to wear a suit. … [Read more...] about Xabi Alonso
Raúl González
Slower than a snoozing turtle. Too bossy by half. A training ground grump. Yes, yes, all of that may be true, but love him or hate him, Raúl is a legend: 323 goals for Real Madrid over 16 years. This striker never had any deadly weapon in particular other than unshakeable self-belief, which might explain why he is now enjoying a fruitful semi-retirement at Germany’s Shalke 04. … [Read more...] about Raúl González