Eating Habits in Spain - Get to Know the Food Culture

Do Spanish mealtimes and cuisine leave you scratching your head? 

Confused about Tapas and Raciones, too? Or, planning to dine in a Spanish restaurant but need help placing your order?

I am in my last semester of studying abroad program in Granada, Spain. My friends, family, and a list of people sometimes ask me how the Spanish eating times operate. 

Also, at what time of day might they head to a restaurant with the intent to meet natives here?  

Therefore, I will inform you of the essentials of the structure and regularity of the Spanish mealtimes.

Different Food Cultures From My Perspective

I had heard many stories before visiting Spain about how seriously the Spanish take mealtimes. After I reached here, I found them to be very true. 

Their diet is so different from the American diet that it has been a major cultural shock. They have a small breakfast, a huge lunch, and a second heavy meal in the evening. 

Their morning begins at 8:00, and their lunchtime is between 2:00 and 3:00. Everything in the city, except tourist attractions, closes at that time and opens again at 5:00 pm. 

Even supper is served quite late, around 10:00 pm, which is far later than in the U.S.  

Though the Spanish have a strong affinity for bread, they don't just purchase any old bread. Rather, they buy freshly made bread daily to go with their meals. 

Also, their diet is very healthful, lacking in salt and sugar. Fruit and yogurt are the sweet treats of choice for them. They only care a little for sweets like cupcakes, cookies, or pies. They think they're too sugary.

Adjusting to a new routine has been challenging for me, but the longest transition has been the period between the morning and noon meals. 

Thankfully, my host family buys me snacks to bring to class, but I've noticed that most Spaniards don't eat anything between meals.

They also refrain from eating on the go or in the classroom. They don't bother stopping to eat when they don't get the time and continue with their daily activities.

The midday hour is often when people in places like the United States begin to feel hungry. Your home time zone means that lunchtime has arrived.

Whereas midday in Spain is a barren time for dining. 

It's early enough for lunchtime and way too late for coffee or Spanish pastries in the morning. Most eateries don't even start prepping their food until an additional hour and a half have passed.

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Avoid Relegating To Tourist-Trap Restaurants! 

Knowing when to eat in Spain is almost as challenging as learning to distinguish between the hundreds of varieties of Spanish-preserved meats. 

You'll have to settle with overpriced tourist traps or cold bar meals if you need to know the local mealtimes in Spain. 

When you master them, you'll unlock a world of delicious possibilities in the kitchen.

I've learned to admire how they make time for themselves and sit down to eat. Compared to the five to ten minutes I would spend eating lunch at school, our lunches here last more than an hour. The Spanish take their time with Everything, as it should be. 

Eating Habits In Spain: How to Plan Your Meals 

The Spanish enjoy a beautiful Mediterranean diet. However, they also eat at entirely different times of day than the British.

The Spaniards eat as many as five times a day, far more than the three times the Brits eat. However, there is much more to learn about Spain's gastronomic culture than just eating.

The following are the most typical times for meals in Spain:

Breakfast AKA EI Desayuno (Wake-up to 11 am) 

Spain's desayuno (morning meal) isn't quite as significant as the American breakfast. Against all the odds, their breakfast is the day's smallest meal.

Before hurrying out to work or school, the typical Spanish person has breakfast in the comfort of their own home. 

Nevertheless, at ten o'clock in the morning, you could see a few of the employees sneaking into the nearest cafeteria for a quick cup of coffee during their mid-morning break. 

In fact, this is a crucial part of the Spanish lunch experience and should be considered.

Even though a Spanish adagio says, "Have morning meal like a royal, lunch as you're a prince and dinner like a beggar," most Spaniards do not consume a substantial amount of food in the morning. 

You must choose one liquid like tea, coffee, or milk with plain cocoa or sweetened along with a solid item like jam, butter, ham, or cheese-topped toast, muffins, cookies, croissants, or any other bakeries, cereals, or fruit. 

However, you may be more willing to indulge on weekends, like serving it with hot chocolate and churros!

Although most Spanish people have breakfast at their homes, they stop at a café, bar, or bakery on their way to the office or school. Taking your coffee with you isn't a common sight on the streets.

I noticed them eating their coffee at the bar counter when they were in a rush, but otherwise, Spaniards sat down at one of the tables. 

To order your breakfast, go to the nearest pub and ask, "Good morning, may I please have a toast with Iberian ham and a coffee with milk? (buenos días, ¿puedo pedir una tostada con jamón ibérico y un café con leche?)

Early Breakfast AKA Almuerzo (10 am- 11:30 am )

A more substantial meal, known as almuerzo, comes immediately after the lighter breakfast. This meal is essentially a repeat of breakfast and is often savory.

When it is time for almuerzo in Spain, it is traditional for employees to meet at a nearby coffee shop or tapas bar to have the meal together. Therefore, almuerzo serves as a time to eat and mingle with others.

A typical almuerzo consists of a meal and a drink and can be found at many cafes and pubs throughout Spain.

The most exciting part is the beverage that comes with the almuerzo meal package may either be water with a refreshing beverage. It’s a little amount of freshly prepared orange concentrate or, wait, guess it; beer. 

Oh, come on! There is no shame in drinking beer at eleven in the morning in Spain. 

In fact, it is relatively common. Although light-bodied lagers remain the norm, different styles of Spanish beer continue to rise in popularity.

It's common for Spaniards to have a sandwich or a baguette bread made sandwich named bocadillo, tomatoes or olive oil toasted bread, or tapas for lunch.

You can choose a wide range of bocadillos varieties as a popular lunchtime option. Tortilla de patatas and jamón y queso, a cured ham and cheese omelet, are two of the most common fillings for bocadillos.

However, bocadillos with anchovies, grilled chicken breast, crispy fried calamari, or pork loin, to name some of them, may also be found on almuerzo menus around Spain.

Sustaining Your Morning Meal 

• The scope of English breakfast is unusual in Spain. Most pubs provide French frittata baguette sandwiches if you're craving sausages and eggs. However, sausages are more difficult to get by. And not even beans!

• Brunch, however, is more of a "hipster" affair. You'll find no "common Spanish" equivalent to brunch; however, American-style brunch places might be found in nearly every major town throughout Spain, especially for Sunday brunch. 

• You'll find Esmorzar-De Forquilla, a Catalan category of breakfast. Basically, it's a seat-down morning meal qualified as a heavy early lunch. However, this breakfast is not common in the entire Spain. 

Tentempie/ Mid-Day Snack/ Coffee Break (Between 10 am and noon) 

There are two basic motivations for a Spanish lunchtime snack. The first one is a hanger. You will likely become hungry if you eat breakfast before 10 am and will only have lunch after 2 pm.

For instance, during a 30-minute break, schoolchildren often snack on something they've brought from home. So they can make it till noon without stopping for food. This is why some Spaniards refer to snacks by the same name they give to roly-poly toys: tentempié.

The second explanation is that you need a break, which is more applicable to grownups. Most folks will leave for a 10-minute break for coffee or non-alcoholic beverages. Solid meals are optional during such a pause.

When we didn't have class on the weekends, we often used the noon snack as an excuse to get together with friends and chat over coffee. Ultimately, you won't only get coffee; other non-alcoholic beverages and even meals are acceptable.

Lunch AKA La Comida (1 pm - 4 pm)

In Spain, the noon meal, or la comida, is considered to be the largest of the day's meals. It's best to immerse yourself in Spanish cuisine and culture since it may include numerous dishes and wine.

Pace yourself since Spanish meals are notoriously hearty and are served in courses. The Spanish are known for eating slowly and leisurely. It's not uncommon for a lunch out with loved ones, whether at a restaurant or home, to stretch two hours.

A Spanish person's average working day includes a two-hour lunch pause, leaving little time to bring food from home. Instead of grabbing fast food, they all go together to the closest sit-down eatery for a leisurely supper.

Restaurants typically open here after 1 pm and shut after 4:30 pm.

The menú del día is a three-course lunch special offered at many restaurants for a set price. It often consists of an assortment of appetizers, main dishes, drinks, and desserts or coffee.

In Spain, it is customary to have lunch in stages, with each dish followed by a cup of coffee. You'll find it a bit hard to persuade your server to bring the coffee to you until after the meal.

A few phrases to help you order lunch in Spanish are - Is there a daily menu available? What advice might you provide to me? Which one is better, paella or gazpacho? 

Some questioned me if the Siesta tradition is still there. This custom dates back centuries to when most people were engaged in agricultural labor. There was no such thing as air conditioning. 

Therefore, it is simple to comprehend why the locals need refueling from a substantial supper and a break from the scorching Spanish heat before returning to work.

Everyone in Spain formerly enjoyed this traditional afternoon break, but times are changing in Spain as the country continues to modernize. 

Many people in bigger cities like Barcelona and Madrid spend more than an hour traveling to and from their places of employment. Because of this, it isn't easy to return home for lunch and a nap throughout the day.

Additionally, many big supermarkets and chain stores in major cities no longer shut for lunch, making this practice increasingly obsolete. Even today, many local businesses closed for lunch and an afternoon nap, only to reopen later that day.

Late-Afternoon Snack AKA La Merienda (Between 5 pm and 6 pm) 

Spanish youngsters, in particular, need their late afternoon snack (known as la merienda) since it might be a period of five to six hours until dinnertime.

It's up to you whether your merienda is salty or sweet. 

French bread with chocolate or chorizo, salami, or ham-stuffed bread are just a few examples. In addition, juice or milk are the typical beverages served during the merienda, but a cup of hot chocolate accompanied by a few Spanish churros is a delectable way to stay warm during the winter months.

You should know that cafés are the best places to get merienda in Spain, whether you are just visiting the country or living there permanently. Once you get there, you should attempt to order your food in the following manner: "Good afternoon, I would like a ham and cheese sandwich and a glass of pineapple juice, please!" (Saludos, Quiero un bocadillo de jamón y queso con zumo de piña!)

Supper AKA La Cena (Between 7 pm to 11 pm) 

Another meal is traditionally eaten quite late in Spain as dinner (cena). If you wish to experience life like a native while you are in Spain, you should get used to eating dinner late. 

On weeknights, about 9 o'clock, the average Spaniard will sit down to supper with their family. However, as most Spaniards like to socialize with friends on the weekends, supper may not begin until far past midnight.

Tapas, an omelet, meat or fish with salad, or even chilly slices like Iberian or salchichón ham might be on the menu for dinner. The most typical option for dessert is something light and refreshing, such as freshly picked fruit and yogurt.

Tapas are tiny, often single-serving appetizers that may be served either hot or cold as an appetizer. However, regardless of where you are in Spain or what time of year, you can always count on bar hopping and enjoying meals with friends during tapas time.

Make a reservation at a Spanish restaurant and inquire, “Good night, what do you have as entries? How is the fried fish here?” (“Saludos, ¿Cuáles son sus ingresos? ¿Cómo es el pescado frito en este lugar?”)

What about right after supper? 

Going out for drinks following dinner is the first step in any nighttime partying strategy, so if you want to get the night started well, do that. 

Before hitting the clubs at 1:30 or 2:30 in the morning, Spaniards will spend the time between supper and "ir de copas", which means going for glasses.

Interested in the vegetarian side of Spanish eating habits? Don't miss our exclusive guide to the Top 10 Vegetarian Foods in Spain, where we journey through the country's best plant-based dishes.

Hey, Wait! You Don't Want To Miss These Out 

When dining in Spain, keep these tips in mind:

• Eat using your fork and knife always; eating with your fingers is frowned upon. Keep both of your hands exposed on the dining table at all times during the meal.

• You can use your fingers to eat olives, crackers, and certain tapas, but only if they are saucy or oily. It's preferable to use toothpicks if they're given while eating these kinds of dishes. Besides that, please use your cutlery.

• Please wait to be seated and for your hostess to begin eating before you join her at her table.

• When you're done eating, place your fork and knife parallel on your plate with the handles sided up to show you've done.

• Prices shown on menus in Spain already include applicable taxes. Pulling out a calculator to calculate your final cost is unnecessary. At the bottom of the bill, you should also see the total tax, presently 10% for food, under the Value Added Tax system.

• It is polite and appreciated if you thank the waiter or host for the service they have provided. Keep your phone out of the dining room, please.

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Frequently Asked Questions 

Is smoking allowed in Spanish bars?

Inside bars, cafes, and restaurants in Spain, smoking is not permitted. However, smoking at tables outside of these establishments is not yet illegal. 

Dining on an outside patio may expose you to the aroma of cigarette smoke from other diners.

Is there a tradition of tipping in Spain?

In Spain, tipping is not ingrained in the service industry. To show your appreciation, round up your bill to the closest euro. Bartenders and wait staff often do not depend on tips. 

However, when dining with a big party or receiving exceptional service, residents are known to leave between five and ten percent of the bill at luxury restaurants.

What would you do if you had to eat outside of regular Spanish meal times?

Spain has late mealtimes, and you may not be willing to hold off until the natives are starving before going out to eat. Tapas bars are the obvious option in such circumstances since they serve cuisine continuously from breakfast or midday until midnight. You can eat tapas anytime in Spain. 

Conclusion 

There is no question that Spaniards have a strong passion for their cuisine; in fact, they eat as many as five meals a day. 

However, the eating habits in Spain are about a great deal more than just eating. It's not about the food; it's about the companionship of your friends, the quality of the wine or beer, and most importantly, the quality of the "sobremesa" you have together.