Darren P. Says:
I’ve heard people in Spain eat super late. Is that true?
IL Executive Editor Jennifer Stevens Says:
Hi Darren,
One of the important things to get used to overseas is how mealtimes work. In many European countries, Spain included, meals are savored a lot more than in the U.S. Eating is an important social event.
The Spanish do have a different setup to their daily meals than you may be used to.
In Spain, breakfast is usually very light: just café con leche, or with the addition of a pastry (of which there are many kinds).
Because lunch is generally at 2 p.m. or 3 p.m. (many restaurants don’t even offer lunch before 1 p.m.), many people have a mid-morning snack, called a merienda. Parents generally give their school-aged children a late-afternoon snack to tide them over until dinner, and this is also called a merienda.
Lunch, la comida, is the big meal of the day in Spanish homes.
It’s generally a first course of a salad, soup, or vegetables of some type, followed by a main course of meat or fish. Dessert (which used to always be fruit but now includes pastries and ice cream) and coffee complete the meal.
Dinner, or cena, in consequence, tends to be light. It is served anytime from 9 p.m. onward. (It generally is not served before sunset, which in summertime can be 10 p.m. or later.)
Learn more about Spanish culture and customs here.
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