Mr Grumpy

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By Mr Grumpy - Sun 24th Mar 2013

 

There are few Guiris living in Spain who don't the Golden Rule : Don't talk about the Franco years.

Sure, those who are highly educated and well read, very brave or plain stupid might attempt to venture a conversation on this matter with a passing Spanish acquaintance. As I quite clearly fall into neither category, I steer well clear.

The subject is reminiscent of the Faulty Towers sketch, except without a frog-marching John Cleese.

Most Villages have their stories to tell about feuding families going back to the 1930's that are still far from forgotten. Even in my Valley half of the villages gave their support to the pro-Franco forces, whilst the other has supported the revolutionaries and the animosity can almost be tasted in the air.

I don't pretend to have an understanding of causes and policies of the Spanish Civil war, and know that as a non-Spaniard I probably never will, and am never meant to. But I do know this : Quite possibly the only useful remaining legacy of the former dictator is the "Menu del Dia".

Some time around the early 1960s the practice was introduced by the authorities, whereby they enforced restaurants over and above a certain size, and open for more than a certain number of hours each week to provide an affordable and nutritious meal for the average Spanish worker without being forced to travel to and from their homes in the middle of the working day.

Only those who have been living in a cave, or out of touch with society would need to be told that the Menu usually comprises of 2 or 3 courses, bread, wine and coffee.

The Spanish Menu del Dia is perhaps one of the most well known aspects of food and dining in Spain - and although the application of the term "affordable" can vary greatly, the value for money is almost always fantastic.

So without fear of inadvertently offending anybody, I think it is fair to say that the introduction of the Menu de Dia is quite possibly something that everybody would agree as being a popular measure.

My personal favourite is Calxon in the village of Orba, Alicante. A typical Spanish workman’s bar serving decent, honest home cooked food. A choice of three or four starters, an a similar number of main courses: whatever happens to be seasonal, or good value on the market that morning and prepared straight after purchase. The menu is committed to memory rather than written on a blackboard, with an endless supply of wine, water and bread & alioli on the table. Nobody takes this piss here. A slab of tarta, or the eponymous ‘flan’ and a coffee round of the meal for just 7 Euros.

Who gets your vote ?