Spaniards have some delectable culinary customs, among them “giant” beans and “giant” corn. (I found the latter — salted and roasted, no less — in a flamenco bar in Cádiz, sold in cocktail-peanut-style canisters in a mini rotating vending machine. Like most bar snacks sold in disposable canisters, they weren’t very good, but still, I [...]
Continue reading about Frijoles Gigantes and Other Spanish Oddities
While many cultures have a “little bites” tradition — Middle Eastern mezze, Russian zakuski, Italian antipasto — it seems like the Spaniards are the most passionate about theirs. Tapas bars are everywhere you look in Spain, and diners are just as likely to make a full meal of tapas as they are to sit down [...]
This herb–which smells a bit like a pine forest–has been used since the days of the ancient Greeks. Back then, it was considered to be a memory aid–students wore garlards of it while studying for exams. It protected against evil spirits in medieval times, and in the 1500s in Europe, it was used to perfume [...]
Garlic may well be the most potent herb on the planet. Egyptian medical writings dating back to 1550 B.C.E. speak of its curative powers, Pliny listed it as being a remedy for over 60 ailments, and Romans ate it before going into battle to give them strength. Garlic, it was believed, was the chosen herb [...]
Bay leaves come from bay trees, which in Latin is a Laurus. In Roman times, a wreath or crown made from bay leaves was a sign of honor for its bearer. (Think of the phrase “to rest on one’s laurels.”) Kings, priests, prophets, poets, and the victors of both scholarly and athletic contests wore laurels [...]
