Experiencing Food in Seville by Cat Gaa

Pora dziś na post z serii ‘Smaczny świat’, której to serii przedsmak mieliście już w grudniu. Nie ruszymy się z półwyspu iberyjskiego. Dziś, dzięki Cat, poznamy, co i jak jedzą i pija w Andaluzji (kuchnia Hiszpanii jest bowiem tak zróżnicowana, że nawet jeśli już wystarczająco was zanudziłam specjalnościami  Katalonii, to mam nadzieję, że kilka nowych rzeczy z tego postu gościnnego wyczytacie). Staram się pisać wszystkie posty w 2 językach, ale jest to dość czasochłonne, dlatego postanowiłam, że postów gościnnych z lenistwa nie będę tłumaczyć. Zawsze jest google translator i zgadywanie o czym jest post patrząc na zdjęcia.

Czytam wiele blogów expatów mieszkających i piszących z Hiszpanii i blog Cat jest jednym z moich ulubionych, zapraszam zatem do zajrzenia na jej bloga, facebooka oraz twittera. I mam nadzieje, że uda mi się Caat poznać osobiście, bo jest szansa, że zawita ona na Zieloną Wyspę, zamiast botellón na świeżym powietrzu będzie  jednak siedzenie w pubie :)

In December I posted a teaser for my new series of guest posts that I will be featuring on my blog starting from today. The first post from ‘Tasty world’ series was available only in Polish as I decided not to translate guest posts (hopefully photos gave you a vague idea of how tasty Portuguese dishes are, and maybe one day some other gust bloggers will write about this country or his favourite Portuguese food). Today, we still are in the Iberian Penisula, and thanks to Cat from Sunshine and Siestas we will find out what and how people in Andalucia eat and drink.

There are many blogs written by expats in Spain, and Cat’s is in my personal top 3, so if you still haven’t discovered it, check her website, facebook and twitter. I hope that I meet her soon, as she may be coming to Ireland soon, instead of botellón we may just stick to a nice old Irish pub.

Experiencing Food in Seville

Like many Mediterranean cultures, the sobremesa – what happens around the dinner table – is important. Dining experiences are often transformed into business meetings, family gatherings and informal get-togethers that bring people to eat, drink and be merry.

Seville’s dining scene is no exception, and it’s coming to call the streets lined with bars and restaurants a sevillano’s living room. Eating out in the capital of Andalusia is a memorable lesson in socializing in this bustling city, whose warm climate and sprinkling of plazas are inviting during the entire year.

De tapas como un Sevillano – Eating like a Sevillian

Meals
For most Spaniards, mealtime is an important gathering, and people eat up to five times a day! Breakfast is important in Seville, usually consisting of a toasted sandwich of olive oil, crushed tomato and sliced Iberian ham with coffee and orange juice, but the midday meal is the largest. Typically eaten between 1:30 and 3:30 in the afternoon, la comida is heavy, has several plates and often lasts for a few hours. Dinner tends to be lighter and served after 8pm. Sevillanos linger in restaurants, moving from beer to coffee to liqueurs or mixed drinks, all in the name of a leisurely lunch and the urgency of celebrating food and life.

Merienda
Even after a large meal, there’s always room for merienda, or a midafternoon snack. Between 5 and 6 p.m., many sevillanos meet friends for a coffee and pastry, often stretching into the long hours of afternoon. Common are chocolate pastries and petit fours, though ice cream can be substituted in during the hot summer months. While many coffee houses are present on Seville’s ancient streets, crammed between gastrobars and chain fashion stores, Confiteria La Campana is the most beloved. A long bar displaying treats for every taste is attended to by workers dressed in pinstripes and aprons, providing an Old World Charm for patrons. Its outdoor tables in Plaza de la Campana are inviting for a rest between shopping or sightseeing.

El Tapeo
Spain’s gastronomy has long been the subject of heralding and high critique, and its tapas scene, called el tapeo, is one of the most famous aspects of food culture in Seville. Small dishes of hot or cold food are a popular way to snack before a meal or even eat, and tend to cost between 1,80€ and 4,00€ in Seville. Oftentimes, eating three or four are enough for a meal, but do as the sevillanos and eat just one at each bar, washed down with a beer or sherry, and move on to the next place. The tapeo in Seville can be found in any neighborhood, but the crowded bars are packed for a reason! Be sure to try sevillano classics, like fried fish, a small sandwich of minced meat called a montaíto de pringá or gazpacho, a cold, tomato-based soup. The tapeo is the busiest on the weekends during meal times.

De copas como un Sevillano – Drinking like a Sevillian

De botellines
Seville’s local beer, Cruzcampo, is the best remedy for blazing days in the Hispalense, as locals call the city. Small glass bottles of beer, called a botellín, or small bottle, are kept chilled and are a sevillano’s choice of beverage with a meal. Botellines go hand in hand with the city’s most memorable dishes. Great places to witness la vidasevillana are Plaza del Salvador, home to a salmon-pink cathedral, and Plaza de los Botellines in the Macarena neighborhood.

De copitas
Cocktail bars, called bares de copas, are popular ways to pass weekend afternoons between mealtimes. Sevillanos love gin tonics and trendy bars, which are easy to find in the center and around the Maestranza bullring. Just don’t expect a Cosmo or Martini – copas in Spain are generally ordered with a brand of liquor and a refreshment, complemented with a slice of lemon. If you’re specifically looking for a cocktail, try The Second Bar on CallePlacentines, or else you’ve got the lion’s share of places to enjoy a bit of booze and the social scene.

De terraza
During the hot summer months, many discos move their bartenders to the rooftops of the cities or near the river, where the nighttime air invites sevillanos to the streets after closing them in their homes during the hot daytime hours. The establishments, called terrazas, often afford gorgeous views of the city at a premium, but they’re worth it! Roof, located inside the Casa Romana Hotel, has incredible vistas of the Cathedral and Salvador, whereas Puerto de Cuba pulsates late into the night right along the Guadalquivir River.

A trip to Seville is not complete without delving into the eating culture that makes the city’s culture accessible, familiar and fun. From the tart, brine-soaked olives to the flaky pastries, Seville’s food scene is one of its greatest traits – and certainly the most delicious!

Cat Gaa left the skyscrapers of Chicago for the olive groves of Andalusia five years ago. A fan of the tapeoand a cold Cruzcampo beer with the sun on her face, she publishes at Sunshine and Siestas, a lifestyle blog that combines all of the things she most loves: food, travel and the language mistakes that make her the effervescent guiri in her group of friends. Follow her on twitter and Instagram at @sunshinesiestas.