I'd Like to Order a Bikini???

Catalan Cuisine

It didn’t take long for me to realize the Spanish are completely obsessed with ham. Granted, I love ham and consider myself a ham snob (I raised pigs growing up) but it is nothing like the Spanish. I have seen ham flavored potato chips, bacon flavored crackers, ham legs hanging in every window, and even ham flavored ice cream. Yep, ham ice cream. Ham Serrano seems to be the ham of choice for most menu items. It is the cured and dried ham that is typically seen on tapas or in a bocadillo. Bocadillos are pretty popular too. They are typical American sandwiches but are usually prepared on a white crispy baguette. Naturally it is very common to combine these two hometown favorites into a typical lunch item.

The first time I was at a small Spanish restaurant/bar for lunch I was looking over the menu deciding what kind of bocadillo I wanted. I saw one called a “bikini.” I asked the waiter about it and he said that it is a typical ham and melted cheese sandwich. I asked him why it wasn’t called just a ham and cheese sandwich and he said it was only called a biking in Barcelona. If I went to any other place and asked for it, I would receive a bathing suit. HA! It was the first of many things I would learn that happen only in Catalunya or Barcelona. Regardless, I decided to order the Bikini and give it a try. I was not disappointed. It was warm and the cheese was perfectly melted and the sandwich bread was toasted and crispy. Needless to say the tiny bar with only 5 stools became a local favorite place to go for lunch.