Spanish food is incredible. Endless and interesting. Each bite a little different from the last. You sit down, a few small plates arrive, and before you know it you've been at the table for two hours and you're not even close to done.
There have been a couple of dishes I've fallen in love with here.
Boquerones Fritos
Tiny fish, fresh out of the fryer, that you consume in handfuls like a hungry bear in a river. They come out hot and impossibly crispy. You tell yourself you'll pace yourself. You won't. They're gone in minutes and you're looking around for more.
Tomatoes with Salt
There are few things tastier than a perfectly ripe tomato, cut into centimetre-thick slices and seasoned liberally with coarse salt. That's it. No dressing, no fuss. In Spain, the tomatoes are so sweet and dense that anything more would just get in the way. It's the kind of dish that makes you realize most tomatoes you've eaten before were just pale imitations.
Russian Salad
Take potato salad, add fish, marry it with a coleslaw, and you've got this delicious scoopable treat. Ensalada rusa is the ultimate sleeper hit of Spanish tapas. People hear "potato salad" and think picnic side dish, but the Spanish version with tuna and that creamy bind is something else entirely. Perfect scooped onto a little tostada or just mopped up with bread.