When you talk about Spanish food, there are certain classics that always come into the conversation. Flan, that sweet, creamy custard-like concoction, dominates the Spanish dessert world. The ever wonderful chicken meets saffron rice dish that is arroz con pollo brings instant salivation to all who conjure it to mind. The general body of recetas that make up Spanish cuisine always leads to growling stomachs and drooling mouths. With no Spanish food is this more true than with bocadillos para fiestas.
So Much More Than a Sandwich
Generally speaking, bocadillos para fiestas are sandwiches made out of a baguette, some meat, and some cheese. Now, you might find yourself thinking, “what’s the big deal? It’s just a sandwich.” However, as About.com writes, this classic receta de cocina is so much more than a sandwich. First of all, the Spanish don’t drown the bocadillo with mayo and mustard. The meat, cheese, and fresh baked bread are allowed to speak for themselves. The bread, more than anything else, is what sets bocadillos para fiestas apart from the sandwich. Whereas sandwiches in Spain are made with boring, mass-produced white bread, the bocadillo is always served on rustic, bakery-style bread.
Classic, Regional Variations
Like all sandwich-style foods, bocadillos para fiestas, as Torrevieja Translation writes, likely have their roots with John Montagu, an 18th century nobleman who served as the fourth Earl of Sandwich. As the European powers intermingled from the 18th century until now, the sandwich spread across the continent. The Spanish, as you can so clearly see, took the original idea from Britain, making the sandwich, for lack of a better term, their own.
Just as the sandwich changed to fit the Spanish palate, so, too, have bocadillos para fiestas evolved to reflect the tastes of Spain’s many different regions. While, as The Latin Kitchen suggests, bocadillos para fiestas featuring Manchego cheese and Serrano ham are regularly enjoyed throughout the Iberian Peninsula, traveling from Madrid to the Andalusia region, for example, will allow you to experience multiple different kinds of this wonderful Spanish classic.
Have you had the opportunity to try bocadillos para fiestas? What was your favorite kind? Tell us about your experience in the comments below! Find out more at this site.
