Seafood

There is a lot of seafood to eat here in Spain. I wonder if it's because (yes, I mean this facetiously) Spain is right next to the ocean?

I can't really tell the difference amongst the normal fish here. I've had carp and some other similarly sized ones that I don't remember the names of. They all tasted, well... like fish. One noticeable issue though is that the fish are cooked with the skin on, battered and fried in olive oil. I also tried a small kind, 5 inches long, that my host mother cooked whole, except for the guts. I didn't eat the head! The eyeballs creeped me out, besides the fact that you're really not supposed to eat the head in the first place. I liked those.

I also got to try sardines for the first time in my life. Those taste really fishy, but they're still good when eaten on a slice of bread with cheese. However, sardines are not traditional fare here; I doubt I could find any at the supermarket or served at a restaurant or bar (but maybe at the fish market/pescadería?). The ones I tried were served as sort of hors d'oeurves at Cáceres Creativa.

I have also eaten squid/calamares in the form of fried squid rings, much like the onion rings you all know. I actually like them (the squid, not the onion).

And I've tried octopus/pulpo in the form of quarter-sized slices. This I did NOT like. It's kind of like chewing unflavorful, very chewy fat globs that have a little bit of texture I would liken to waterchestnuts if waterchestnuts were ever not crunchy.