{"id":85612,"date":"2020-10-06T11:02:56","date_gmt":"2020-10-06T11:02:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/staging.expatinfodesk.com\/?page_id=85612"},"modified":"2024-05-06T10:45:34","modified_gmt":"2024-05-06T10:45:34","slug":"food","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.expatinfodesk.com\/destinations\/madrid\/food\/","title":{"rendered":"Food Options in Madrid"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Food Options in Madrid<\/h2>\n

Spanish cuisine is built on the pillars of the Mediterranean diet and is, therefore, rich in vegetables, fruits, legumes, fish, bread and olive oil. Upon arriving, you\u2019ll also notice that pork products are quite popular, especially the cured hams (Serrano and Iberico), chorizo (spicy sausage both cured and for frying),\u00a0salchich\u00f3n<\/em>\u00a0(a salami-like cured sausage), and\u00a0lomo<\/em>\u00a0(cured pork loin). And although Madrid is not located on the Spanish coast, the best seafood is transported to the Spanish capital, so seafood and fish is always fresh, although also quite expensive.<\/p>\n

A traditional Spanish breakfast is coffee, juice or tea with toast or a croissant. Lunch is the biggest meal of the day, and is typically eaten between 2:00PM and 4:00PM. Dinner is eaten between 9:00PM and 11:00PM and tends to be a significantly smaller meal than lunch. \u201cMerienda<\/em>\u201d means snack, and it\u2019s an accepted practice to \u201cmerendar<\/em>\u201d a small sandwich or something similar between lunch and dinner. And when it comes to dessert, Spaniards usually eat fruit. Pastries and ice cream are rate treats.<\/p>\n

Tapas and\u00a0tapeo<\/em>\u00a0(going out for tapas) have become popular all over the world but a lot of people don\u2019t know exactly what they are. Spaniards are very social, and there is a large and important bar culture. Traditionally, each drink is accompanied by a small portion of food called a \u201ctapa.\u201d When Spaniards want a light meal, generally in the evening, it\u2019s common to go out for drinks and tapas.<\/p>\n

Each Spanish province has its traditional dishes, and the three dishes typical of Madrid are\u00a0callos a la madrile\u00f1a<\/em>\u00a0(beef tripe with chickpeas),\u00a0oreja a la plancha<\/em>\u00a0(grilled pig\u2019s ear) and\u00a0cocido madrile\u00f1o<\/em>, a stew made with chicken broth, chickpeas, blood sausage (morcilla<\/em>), chorizo and cuts of pork. In Spain, there are few parts of the animal that are not eaten, and although some of the traditional dishes may sound somewhat off-putting, they tend to be quite tasty. Sometimes it\u2019s best to try a dish before asking what it is.<\/p>\n

Aside from traditional Spanish food, it\u2019s easy to find all types of international foods, as well as nouvelle Spanish cuisine, in Madrid. The large immigrant populations from Latin America, North Africa and Asia, have led to hundreds of Moroccan, Turkish, Chinese, Indian\/Pakistani, Japanese, Thai, Mexican, Cuban, Peruvian, Ecuadorian and Argentine restaurants.<\/p>\n

You don\u2019t have to worry about any food-related sanitary risks in Spain, and tap water is perfectly safe to drink anywhere in the country.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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01<\/td>\nStart learning Spanish and have at least a basic comprehension before arriving in the country, it will get you off to the best start.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
02<\/td>\nGive yourself enough time to adapt to your new city. Leave sufficient time to perform the required administration before starting work.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
03<\/td>\nExpect to spend a bare bones minimum of 1000 Euros per month, but if you want to live somewhat comfortably, plan on spending twice that amount.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
04<\/td>\nMake the effort to strike up relationships with Spaniards, and don\u2019t be afraid to be the one who suggests getting together for coffee or a night<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

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