One of the things I was most excited to do in Spain was to try new food. I personally love to try different cuisines from different cultures, and the opportunity to be in Spain for the entire semester gives me more than enough time to try all different kinds of food. Something I’ve grown to love here is to go and tapear, which is to go and eat tapas (pictured below).
Tapas in Spain are similar to what appetizers are in America, but the main difference is that eating tapas is more than just the act of eating – eating tapas with friends is an activity in its own right rather than leading up to a bigger meal where you sit in a restaurant. It’s a common activity in Spain to go and tapear with your friends and hop from place to place trying the tapas at each local restaurant you come across. Instead of having a big meal, the point of the activity is to try small amounts of different types of food from different locations. This concept was very new to me when I first came here, and I’ve grown to love it – it’s a fun way to not only try lots of new food, but also a fun way to spend time with friends and explore the city.
Izzy Gharib
Major: Economics
Hometown: Kenosha, Wisconsin
Program: WIP Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Spain