Nelly, who is part of HomSkil’s culinary team, recently went to Spain for the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage. It is a long trek to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela. I have many friends who have done the Camino (as it is usually called for short) and some have done it more than once. Along the way, Nelly met a non-Christian lady from an Asian country who was making the journey on her own. The route to Santiago de Compostela is well-signed, so it is possible to make the journey alone without a guide, but it is more fun to go in a group and with a guide.
I went to Spain a few years ago, but I didn’t do the Camino. It was a great cultural experience. I loved the mountains and the small country and medieval towns. I saw a lot of olive trees and I went on a tour of a winery. I enjoyed home-cooked meals during my stay and had packed lunches when I went to visit the towns and villages in the Aragon region. I didn’t take photos of the meals. The most unusual snack I had was beer and tapas for merienda (tea) at a small town famous for its chorizo and pottery.
Nelly did a good job taking photos of meals along the Camino route and she was happy to share them with us.
Some Singaporeans who went to Spain were surprised by the dinner served at their accommodation on their first night. It was tortilla de patatas (potato omelette) and bread. They didn’t know that it’s normal to have a light meal for dinner in Spain, because the main meal of the day is lunch. Dinner is like supper in Singapore. The other thing to note is that dinner is usually at 9pm or 10pm.
Nelly was impressed by the kindness of the people she met at the cafés along the Camino route. Her group met a man outside a café washing and giving away plums for free to pilgrims.
I asked Nelly what her favourite Spanish dish was, she said it was chickpea stew. Another favourite was a vegetable soup that was so comforting because it was warm and it tasted similar to Asian soups. When you walk along country roads the whole day, food is a great source of comfort, apart from being a necessary source of energy.
If you go to Spain, you must have chocolaté (a thick hot chocolate drink) con churros (fried dough fritters) (see featured photo). I remember going to a chocolatería on my first day in Barcelona. My friends and I were brought there by our very warm-hearted host. It seemed to be as important as seeing Gaudí’s famous architecture. Like Nelly, we experienced the kindness of the people we met there.
Have a great week ahead.
By Chayo, HomSkil Editor 1, 22 September 2024
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