La hora de comerTime to eat.

Your customs

• When do you eat breakfast?• When do you eat lunch?• When do you eat dinner?• What is your biggest meal of the day?

You might be surprised to know that Spanish dining customs are quite a bit different than

your own. Let´s start with breakfast…

El desayuno (day-sigh-oon-oh)Breakfast

• Breakfast is the smallest meal of the day. It is typically eaten betwen 7:00 a.m.- 8:00 a.m.

• Most Spaniards will not eat more than a bollo, a sweet roll, or croissant, and cáfe con leche, coffee with milk.

• Children will often have magdalenas, a type of breakfast muffin, toast, or cookies, along with cola coa, a chocolate drink.

• Cereal is not a traditional breakfast food….and in fact, most Spaniards dislike it.

• Pancakes and sausage and nearly unheard of.

If you decide to eat breakfast at a café or bar, as is typical, you will also have the option of purchasing fresh squeezed orange juice (sometimes they even squeeze the orange in front of you) and tostadas con tomate, toasted baguettes with a crushed tomato sauce.

Almuerzo (al-mwer-zo)Lunch

• Almuerzo is the largest meal of the day. • It usually isn´t eaten until about 2:00 p.m.• Usually it consists of several courses (soup or salad,

the main meal, dessert and/or coffee)• Bread is always on the table and is often eaten with

olive oil and vinegar. • Traditionally, Spaniards have a 2-3 hour break from

work or school in order to enjoy their lunch and take a nap or siesta. During this time the entire country closes up shop from about 2:00pm to 4:30 or 5:00pm.

The siesta is a tradition that goes back centuries. When most people worked in agriculture and air conditioning did not exist, it is easy to understand why folks needed a large meal and a rest from the hot Spanish sun before returning to work outside. Everyone in Spain enjoyed this afternoon break, from school kids to shop workers and government officials. This tradition is still carried on today.

Cena (say-nah)Dinner

• Usually eaten between 9:00 and 11:00 p.m.

• Cena is typically a lighter meal- sometimes consisting of a bocadillo, sandwich, or tortilla, an egg and potato dish.

• Many Spaniards choose to go out to eat for cena.

• Restaurants and bars are very abundant in Spain and usually serve tapas during the dinner hour.

• Tapas are small plates of food.

• In some parts of Spain you can get a free tapa with every drink that you order.

ResumenRecap

• When is breakfast eaten?• When is lunch eaten?• When is dinner eaten?• What is the biggest meal of the day? The smallest?• ¿Qué significa “almuerzo”?• ¿Qué significa “cena”?• ¿Qué significa “desayuno”?• What is cola cao?• What is a siesta?• What are tapas?