Pig is king

Before coming to Spain I knew very little about Spanish cuisine and its delicacies. I would have guessed that the food would be similar to America's idea of "Mexican food," but this is hardly the case. My first night in Madrid I tried tapas and was introduced to the Spanish custom of sharing small portions of a variety of different snacks, all equally delicious and filling. The next day, I went to the supermarket and bought some chorizo and a baguette to snack on during the day. Little did I know that the pig is by far the most popular meat in Spain--a fact I learned in our first practicum--and that the Spanish use practically every part of the pig, wasting nothing. Thus it is only fitting that on my second night in Salamanca, I ordered the Entremeses which consisted of chorizo, lomo, and jamón. So far I find most of the Spanish food to be very salty, which I enjoy. I hope to continue to sample more Spanish foods from both my host family meals and also from excursions to restaurants.