When I think of Spanish food I think of....

Blandness.  I have never been a food connoisseur, per say, so I have no experience with any sort of food other than American (or, at best, some sort of Americanized ethnic food).  My father went to Europe a few years back and the few things he said about the food was that it was bland.  As the trip approached, I decided  I really ought to research some more about the food in Spain.  Through this research, I learned that the Spaniards are a big fan of potatoes, seafood, bread, and pig.  Thus far, I have found the pig, potato, and bread portion to be true, whereas the seafood portion has not.  I did see an enormous amount of seafood at the market, but, as we have talked about in class, I think seafood is a more prevalent food group among the coastal cities.  My host family has actually made quite a bit of chicken while I have been here, but I think that is them trying to appease the American in me.

   When I thought of Spanish food, I thought of healthy foods because I have heard that the obesity problem in America is exponentially worse than that in European countries.  However, I have found that they fry and deep fry and salt quite a bit of their food.  I suppose it's the olive oil that makes the difference.  Additionally, I would never think of french fries or potato chips coming with a typical Spanish meal, but the restaurants I have visited thus far have proven me wrong.  Overall, I think I am gaining a better understanding of what to think of when I think of Spanish food through this trip because, to be truthful, I had a very limited grasp on what it meant to eat in Spain.