Wednesday, May 13, 2015

Spanish gastronomy

Iberico ham, suckling pigs and more!


It’s hard to resist when it comes to eating pork in Spain and with stores dedicated to selling hams found everywhere in Barcelona and Madrid, I was down with pork overload by the end of my trip in Spain!  But one of the must-haves is the roasted suckling pig that has made the town of Segovia so famous.  The narrow stonepaths in Segovia are dotted with restaurant menus showcasing the famous roasted suckling pig, or Chochinillo Asado, but the most well known of the restaurants is the Meson De Candido in the centre of the town square.  The owner proudly wears his medallion and shows off his famous dish by cutting the pig with a plate before shattering it onto the floor.  Not surprisingly, lineups are continuous from morning to night, especially during lunch hour, for a taste of the simple, crispy goodness.  I was tempted to buy a whole leg of Iberico ham to bring home with me but my suitcases were overweight already.  The famed Iberico ham originates from acorn fed black pigs that eat up to 10 kilos of acorns each day.  The fat is evenly layered in the ham, with an intense flavour, especially those cured for over two years which have a golden hue glistening from the fat.  A taste of the nutty and salty flavour of the ham is the ultimate gastronomic experience.  For those with a sweet tooth like me, walking into a traditional nougat shop in Spain packed with assorted colours of nougat is heaven.  The simple mix of honey, egg whites and sugar with pistachios, almonds, hazelnuts and dried fruits in this confection makes it a long time tradition.  While nougat is great, of course, nothing beats a side of fresh fried churros dipped in warm chocolate on a rainy day in Spain.







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