1. La hora de comer Time toeat.

2. Yourcustoms • When do youeatbreakfast? • When do youeat lunch? • When do youeatdinner? • Whatisyourbiggestmeal of theday? YoumightbesurprisedtoknowthatSpanishdiningcustoms are quite a bit differentthanyourown. Let´sstartwithbreakfast…

3. El desayuno (day-sigh-oon-oh)Breakfast • Breakfastisthesmallestmeal of theday. Itistypicallyeatenbetwen 7:00 a.m.- 8:00 a.m. • MostSpaniardswillnoteat more than a bollo, a sweet roll, or croissant, and cáfe con leche, coffeewithmilk.

4. Childrenwilloftenhavemagdalenas, a type of breakfastmuffin, toast, or cookies, alongwithcola coa, a chocolate drink. • Cereal isnot a traditionalbreakfastfood….and in fact, mostSpaniardsdislikeit. • Pancakes and sausage and nearlyunheard of.

5. Ifyou decide toeatbreakfast at a café or bar, as istypical, youwillalsohavetheoption of purchasingfreshsqueezedorangejuice (sometimestheyevensqueezetheorange in front of you) and tostadas con tomate, toasted baguettes with a crushedtomato sauce.

6. Almuerzo (al-mwer-zo)Lunch • Almuerzo is the largest meal of the day. • Itusuallyisn´teatenuntilabout 2:00 p.m. • Usuallyitconsists of severalcourses (soupor salad, themainmeal, dessert and/orcoffee) • Bread isalwaysonthetable and isofteneatenwith 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.

8. 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.

9. Cena (say-nah)Dinner • Usually eaten between 9:00 and 11:00 p.m. • Cena istypically a lightermeal- sometimesconsisting of a bocadillo, sandwich, ortortilla, anegg and potatodish.

10. ManySpaniardschoosetogoouttoeatfor cena. • Restaurants and bars are veryabundant in Spain and usuallyserve tapas duringthedinnerhour. • Tapas are smallplates of food. • In someparts of Spainyou can get a free tapa witheverydrinkthatyouorder.

11. ResumenRecap • Whenisbreakfasteaten? • Whenis lunch eaten? • Whenisdinnereaten? • Whatisthebiggestmeal of theday? Thesmallest? • ¿Qué significa “almuerzo”? • ¿Qué significa “cena”? • ¿Qué significa “desayuno”? • Whatis cola cao? • Whatis a siesta? • What are tapas?