Spanish Seafood

Let’s talk about seafood. Spain and Japan are both listed among the top ten countries for seafood consumption. Madrid’s seafood market is not far behind the famous Tsukiji Fish Market in Tokyo, Japan. Both diets are also considered to be two of the healthiest (and tastiest) in the world.

I must admit that when I was younger, I was a bit of a picky eater. I’m from a part in the U.S. that is known for its grains, beef and dairy products. Coming to Spain five years ago and seeing seafood all over the place was something I was definitely not used to! However, I stepped a bit out of my comfort zone and tried some new things. I’ve come to love seafood and I now can’t imagine living without it!

I want to share some popular Spanish seafood dishes. I am not well schooled in authentic Japanese food, so I am interested in learning more about what Japan eats from the sea. I’m curious as to whether any of the main ingredients are the same in Japan and in Spain.

Here are some common dishes in Spain that contain seafood. All of the following pictures of food were taken by me and then of course, eaten. :)

 

Grilled octopus with potatoes, paprika (spice) and olive oil:

 

Black rice. This consists of white rice cooked in squid's ink with calamari and a side of garlic sauce. This is my personal favorite!:

 

Deep-fried shark:

 

Pan-fried shrimp:

 

Baby European eels with potatoes:

 

Monkfish. This fish is not going to win any beauty contests any time soon, but I can tell you that it is as delicious as it is ugly! Here is a link to see this fish (view at your own risk):  https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Monkfish.jpg  Here, it was prepared on the grill and then served with an olive oil, garlic and lemon sauce:

 

Deep-fried seaweed:

 

Lastly, the most famous Spanish rice dish:  Paella. There are a lot of variations of this dish, but here it was prepared with a lot of vegetables, seafood and chicken:

 

Does any of this seafood remind of you a Japanese dish? How is seafood prepared in your country? Feel free to leave a comment!

 

Vocabulary focus:

picky eater [noun]:  a person who is very particular about what he/she eats and therefore, doesn't like to try new things

comfort zone [noun]:  situation in which a person feels comfortable as everything is familiar

school [verb]:  educate

deep-fried [adjective]:  cooked in a lot of oil

pan-fried [adjective]: cooked in a little bit of oil

beauty contest [noun]:  competition where people are judged based on their physical appearance