Podcast Episodes

What is Merienda? (EP 11)

Spain has five meals a day. You probably only know three of them. Merienda is the fourth, the officially sanctioned afternoon snack that happens some…

2 months, 1 week ago

What is Vermut? (EP 10)

Spain has an entire time of day named after a drink, which just goes to show how essential vermut, or vermouth, is to understand Spain.

This episode,…

2 months, 2 weeks ago

What is Semana Santa? (EP 09)

Semana Santa…it's holy week, that time of year again when Spain stops. Schools close, businesses shut down, and people fill the streets for religious…

2 months, 3 weeks ago

What is Paella? (EP 08)

Traditional Valencian paella has rabbit, legumes, and vegetables…not seafood. This episode explains what paella actually is, where it comes from, and…

2 months, 4 weeks ago

What is Siesta? (EP 07)

Spain's most famous tradition is also its most misunderstood. The siesta isn't what you think it is, and most Spaniards don't actually take one.

This…

3 months ago

What is Jamón Ibérico? (EP 06)

Spain's most expensive cured meat costs the same per ounce as jewelry-grade silver. A single leg runs €400 to €1,000 in Spain, over $1,400 in the US,…

3 months, 2 weeks ago

What is the Paseo? (EP 05)

Every evening, entire Spanish neighborhoods empty onto the streets. No event, no destination, just thousands of people walking. This is the paseo, S…

3 months, 3 weeks ago

What is Café con Leche? (EP 04)

This is an episode about Spanish coffee. Not just café con leche...also cortado, café solo, carajillo...and each one has its own rules, its own timi…

3 months, 4 weeks ago

What is Sobremesa? (EP 03)

Sobremesa is the word for what happens after you finish eating in Spain, and once you get it, everything clicks. It's why a Tuesday lunch turns into …

4 months ago

What is Tortilla Española? (EP 02)

Tortilla española is just eggs, potatoes, and oil. That's it. And yet somehow it's Spain's most important dish… on every menu, in every bar, and the …

4 months ago