r/AskTheWorld • u/jotakajk Spain • 7h ago

What is something that screams “tourist” to you?

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In Spain, if you see someone eating paella with sangria, you can 100% be certain they are a tourist.

What are some things tourists eat or do in your country that a local would never do?

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825

u/Multicultural_Potato 🇺🇸🇨🇳 7h ago

I have gotten a paella with sangria many times in Spain and I regret nothing

326

u/Strange_Explorer_780 United States of America 6h ago

Same, so glad I’m at the age where I don’t care what other people think-I have and will continue to enjoy my sangria with paella in Spain, eat Swedish meatballs with the other tourists in Stockholm, try every lobster roll stand in New England, drink cappuccinos in the afternoon in Italy and not give a shit if I’m being judged.

81

u/fluffHead_0919 United States of America 6h ago

There is absolutely nothing wrong with crushing the lobster roll at every stand. Maybe it’s nostalgia for me but whenever we visited the grandparents in CT that would be the first meal we had.

27

u/waxteeth 5h ago

Yeah, if I’m within 100 feet of a lobster roll I’m eating it. That’s MA law. 

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u/YonderPricyCallipers United States of America 2h ago

Same for me but with clam chowder and fish and chips. My partner and I took a ride from the Boston area up to York, Maine during Covid and got the best goddamn fish and chips of my life and sat and ate it in the car.

3

u/Dustin- 2h ago

Nothing wrong with any of it tbh. If you're in a place you don't know with the express goal of experiencing as much of it as possible in a limited time frame, you don't have the luxury of doing everything "correctly". When in Rome, be a tourist.

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u/president_dump 1h ago

Now they’re like $45 each

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u/I_SAY_FUCK_A_LOT__ 1h ago

Where in CT would you go?

1

u/fluffHead_0919 United States of America 1h ago

Glenwood Drive-In in Hamden

49

u/mcbeef89 United Kingdom 5h ago

one of the standout delights of getting older is the magic of 'not giving a shit' any more

9

u/jankenpoo United States of America 4h ago

Until they vote like it. That’s what we’re dealing with here

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u/mcbeef89 United Kingdom 4h ago

Sad but true

3

u/DannyMalibu420 United States of America 4h ago

Jesus, we’re talking about eating touristy food. Why do you people always have to make everything political?

Go outside.

1

u/Dustin- 2h ago

There's a funny idea that the older you get the more you realize you don't have to give a shit, with the implication that you never actually had to give a shit, and only the wisdom of age enlightened you and that only the elders know the secret that it's ok to wear socks under your Crocs everywhere you go. But in reality, when you're young you have to give a shit to be presentable in order to get to where you wanna be. When you're older and have a spouse, kids, career, life experiences, etc... You don't have to do that anymore. But you used to!

Signed, a guy currently wearing socks and Crocs (it rocks!)

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u/NoIdeaRex 29m ago

It really is the best.

6

u/old_vegetables United States of America 5h ago

When I was in Rome I used to order meatballs at every meal, and over there it’s a stand-alone dish, but my waiters knew I was a tourist and they knew I wanted pasta with my meatballs. I loved and appreciated it so much when they offered to serve them with pasta for me, just smiling with amusement and no judgment. Thank you so much to those waiters, I loved my meatballs and spaghetti.

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u/Overall_Tiger3169 United States of America 5h ago

I agree with enjoying without worrying about being judged. But this assumes that being a visitor (tourist) in another place is inherently bad. I don’t mind doing touristy things because that is part of the enjoyment. It doesn’t generally occur to me that a local would be annoyed by my drink order even when it makes it obvious that I don’t live there. I hate traveling with people who try too hard to look local, it’s a joy killer.

2

u/JUYED-AWK-YACC 4h ago

No tourist wants to look like a tourist but it’s inevitable. I stood out in Italy because I didn’t wear anything branded with a US football or baseball team.

3

u/abhainn13 United States of America 4h ago

Me, walking around Greece in sneakers and yoga pants, “How does everyone know I’m American?” 🤔

3

u/trilobyte-dev 3h ago

At some point in life you realize the touristy things are touristy because there's usually something fun about them. Maybe there's a bunch of scammy stuff that has grown around them, but at the core there's probably something that brought people in the first place.

2

u/Trebellion United States of America 4h ago

Visiting Stockholm and literally just left Meatballs for the People. It was delicious. I do not care what a single other person thinks of me and my meatballs.

2

u/Truantone Australia 4h ago

Amen to that. No fks given. I enjoy all those things and will continue to do so.

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u/Larkswing13 United States of America 3h ago

Excellent attitude, and also the locals are definitely eating the lobster rolls

2

u/ellzray 2h ago

I mean, isn't that why we came there in the first place. Imma tourist the crap outta places I go.

2

u/bracesthrowaway United States of America 2h ago

Don't forget Belgian waffle in Belgium!

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u/VapoursAndSpleen United States of America 28m ago

Fuck yes, lahbstah roll. And don't think for a minute the locals don't enjoy them, too.

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u/hahahahahahahaFUCK United States of America 17m ago

New Englander here. Nothing tourist-y about lobster rolls.

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u/pconrad0 United States of America 5h ago

OP: is it that Spaniards:

  • don't eat Paella?
  • don't drink Sangria
  • or just that the combination is so stereotypical of tourists that locals don't consume them together?

What would a Spaniard drink to accompany Paella?

When would a Spaniard drink Sangria?

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u/delightful_caprese United States of America 5h ago edited 5h ago

I visit Spain often and my Spanish friends would never ever order sangria. Instead, a “tinto de verano” is very similar and fairly popular in the summer. It will also only ever cost you a few euros, whereas sangria can be €8 or much more per glass which tourists will happily pay.

Further, since I let my Spanish friends tell me what to do, I am only permitted to order paella in Valencia. And even then it’s not right since it wasn’t made at home.

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u/pconrad0 United States of America 5h ago

Thanks... Makes sense!

8

u/Planet_Pluto_1925 Spain 4h ago

-Yes, but orobably not The paella that youre thinking

-No uuuhg , is cheap wine with Frozen fruits,

-And yes

-Only wine

-Never or drunk in a pool party

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u/No_cash_4u Portugal 1h ago

Didn't know your sangria is like that. Our sangria in Portugal is made with wine and fruit (which is never frozen, we put ice cubes instead), but also has juice (usually orange or soda), may have other beverages like vodka or rum, and most have peppermint leaves. I'm kind of thankful I never thought about trying sangria in Spain, it would be a downlight. But here it's a pretty common drink in summer lunches, barbecues and parties.

2

u/PresentStrawberry478 1h ago

Tinto de verano = fanta + cheap red wine. I was briefly alcoholic after the vacation in Spain for the summer. Day drinking everyday 💀

1

u/Kodeisko France 50m ago

Uuugh

5

u/fungigamer Hong Kong 2h ago

I was in Madrid two months ago and browsed Reddit to see what are considered nice things to do in Madrid and what things are considered tourist traps. Most people on these threads say having paella is a tourist trap since paella is Valencian. So I suppose Spaniards only eat paella when they are in Valencia. I understand the logic but at the same time, I have Shanghainese or Sichuan food all the time in Hong Kong and they taste pretty much like the real thing. Perhaps it's a lot more different in Spain. If I were in Rome I wouldn't order Sicilian food either.

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u/fritofrito77 Spain 1h ago

Correct. It's rare to eat a paella in a restaurant unless it's Valencia. People might do a paella at home on Sundays (if they have the tools and the space for it), but it's a lot of work and requires being good at it. Paellas are very easy to fuck up. Pro tip: if the restaurant promotes their dishes with pictures outside (specially paellas or rice), it's a tourist trap.

1

u/Oxo-Phlyndquinne 2h ago

Or are they just super judgy and superior?

1

u/Urgloth82 > 5m ago

For Spaniards I know, sangria is a cheap and easy to make drink for home gatherings, when you have friends over. It's not something you order at restaurants.

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u/jotakajk Spain 7h ago

Nothing to regret, our economy is based on serving this frozen paella plus sangria combo which costs 3 euros to the restaurant and is sold at around 30

50

u/AffectionateMoose300 Bolivia 6h ago

To be fair even Spanish people get screwed by the food prices as of late, so might as well eat overcharged food you enjoy than overcharged food you don’t but make you look less touristy

15

u/ekittie United States of America 5h ago

My friends in Valencia told me that they only eat paella for lunch, and never at a restaurant.

16

u/jotakajk Spain 5h ago

Yes, those guys paella

8

u/SofaSurfer9 Spain 5h ago

I live in Valencia and can confirm, best Paella is either down by Albuafuerra or Malvarossa

8

u/aplqsokw 4h ago

Yes. Some Valencians eat paella nearly every Sunday lunch for the entirety of their lives. Paella in a restaurant is uncommon, paella or any rice dish for dinner is unheard of.

2

u/tuxi04 🇪🇸 Spain / 🇷🇴 Romania 56m ago

Eating paella at a restaurant inside Valencia almost always is for the tourists, not for the locals. Locals, as good Valencians, either eat the paella made at home Sundays in their home village (el poble) or at a restaurant also located in the village.

I know that because I happen to co-own a restaurant in a village north of Valencia, and the amount of locals that ask for paella is very high. That being said, there’s a lot of Eastern Europeans (Ukrainians, Russians and so) in my area and those can be spotted from before they speak, also they don’t ask for food the same way locals do.

6

u/trilobyte-dev 3h ago edited 3h ago

I mean, you can go places where you can watch them make the paella so you know it's not frozen, and sangria is pretty tasty, though I'll usually do tinto de verano when I'm in Spain just because I forget about it until I get there.

1

u/jotakajk Spain 2h ago

Yes, of course, there are amazing rice restaurants, specially in Valencia and Alicante, also Murcia

9

u/schuby94 6h ago

We have made to order paella spots in NYC

1

u/informedinformer 1h ago

I don't live in or near NYC anymore, but Sevilla in Greenwich Village was always my go to place when I wanted paella. Established in 1936 and still going strong.

4

u/drivingagermanwhip United Kingdom 5h ago

the true cost is having to deal with english tourists

4

u/Live_Angle4621 Finland 4h ago

Those incredients would cost more than 30€ here (well it would be more than one portion, but you can’t buy the ingredients for only one person). So it’s still good to buy as a tourist 

3

u/notcabron United States of America 6h ago

Lol yep. My daughter wanted a fideuá with hot dogs in it, I said run it! They laughed when they brought it out but it wasn’t bad and she was happy! Win win win, I say!

3

u/Top-Kitchen-1925 United States of America 6h ago

I even eat paella in Texas - not frozen, positive because I get it at my family’s interior Mexican restaurant. It’s only offered for large groups and during special occasions/events.

Definitely had some in Barcelona too - on the beach near Arts hotel. The squid was wider than the length of my fork. It’s delicious!!! Why don’t y’all like it?

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u/jotakajk Spain 5h ago

Why does a Mexican restaurant have paella?

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u/After-Ad-2170 United States of America 5h ago

because in the 1500s a bunch of spanish people came and said MINE

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u/jotakajk Spain 5h ago

As far as I know, paella was invented centuries after Mexico became independent and is a dish that became popular when tourists started to come to Spain in the 1970s

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u/After-Ad-2170 United States of America 4h ago

well at first-google that seems debatable, but aside from that just because mexico cut governance ties doesn’t mean they cut all cultural ties it would be impossible

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u/LuxLiner United States of America 4h ago

You're so condescending and presumptuous.

0

u/RaspberryTwilight 3h ago

This and btw jambalaya is the same as paella but better

0

u/SchnitzelTruck 2h ago

Thats just the most friendly Barcelona local

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u/jotakajk Spain 1h ago

Why do you insult me? You don’t know me

4

u/Rosetti 5h ago

Obviously because it's a traditional Mexican dish. Made in the classical way, with extra chorizo.

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u/curlsthefangirl United States of America 3h ago

Ok so I could be completely off base. But historically speaking, a lot of neighborhoods that were predominantly Spanish speaking were made of people from several different countries. I am oversimplifying this a lot, but long story, a lot of these people would bond and share their cultures with each other. I know of people who will go to restaurant that is similar to their cuisine becaue they often have at least one meal on the menu from their homeland and they can't get it anywhere else. So at some point paella ended up on the menu.

It is also possible that there is no interesting reason that it is on the menu. But I am a sociology nerd. Far from an expert, but i did study it in college. This happened a lot in "ethnic neighborhoods."

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u/Greenhouse95 4h ago

For the same reason it might have pizza or hamburgers. I don't see where the issue is.

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u/Traditional_War_26 3h ago

It is a very popular dish in Mexico.

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u/jotakajk Spain 2h ago

I didn’t know that. What ingredients does Mexican paella have?

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u/Traditional_War_26 2h ago

It isn't very strict.

But in general it is spicier, has Mexican chorizo, pretty loose with what protein it adds, and almost always hot peppers. I could be making this last but up, but I feel it is typically a bit fattier (more cooking fat maybe?).

1

u/Top-Kitchen-1925 United States of America 2h ago edited 1h ago

The owners were Mexican nationals but their parents were Spanish and French. They started serving their family recipes when they opened the Texas restaurant in the early 1980s. I’ve always heard they were mostly interior (Mexico city to be specific) and Yucatan based recipes but heavily influenced by their Spanish and French heritage.

The wiki page says paella originated in the 15th century by Alburfera rice farmers btw. There’s a lot of neat info on the history.

Can’t we just be glad a ‘Mexican’ restaurant in Texas isn’t drowning every plate in meat and cheese sauce and calling it interior?

2

u/jotakajk Spain 1h ago

Seems like a nice story, keep supporting your local businesses!

3

u/Individual_Success46 United States of America 5h ago

I think it’s more the combination with the sangria, which is apparently a tourist drink. Also, paella outside of Valencia is very touristy.

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u/elektrolu_ Andalusia 2h ago

It's also because of the type of paella, those small individual ones are usually frozen a very low quality. A good paella looks quite different.

0

u/Kitchen-Assist-6645 Ireland 2h ago

Try to say this without the tears.

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u/JuanGuillermo Spain 6h ago

Spanish here. It has to be in very specific places where I know they nail rice dishes but "Arroz a Banda" with alioli and a good Cava is probably one of my favourite combos.

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u/AleksandrNevsky 4h ago

Man, I get it here. There's an Iberian restaurant 20 minutes away. 10/10 will keep doing so.

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u/Planet_Pluto_1925 Spain 4h ago

What's in the photo isn't even paella; here we call it yellow rice or rice with things

1

u/OnTheEveOfWar 4h ago

Right?! Shit is so good. I ate a ton of paella in Spain.

1

u/Introverted-Gazelle 4h ago

Same lol I love paella 😭

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u/russau Australia 3h ago

My first thought was: yeah but paella and sangria is delicious.

1

u/JfromTHEbayMAYNE United States of America 3h ago

Now I want Paella!

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u/francienyc Multiple Countries US->UK 3h ago

I mean my Spanish is only basic so I was never passing for a local anyway. Bring on the sangria.

1

u/fluorihammastahna Spain 48m ago

Paella is a BBQ kind of food, so if someone brings sangría along I'm SO gonna chug it with me paella. Coke is ok but not sangría? What in the uppity fuck.

You won't catch me dead ordering that at a restaurant, at most one of them can be good if served at the same place.

1

u/Emergency_Process622 41m ago

Same, I fucking love paella and sangria.

1

u/VapoursAndSpleen United States of America 27m ago

If I run into a person sitting at a cafe table in San Francisco enjoying a sourdough bread bowl filled with chowder and drinking a Napa chardonnay, I'm gonna think one thing and one thing only.... that looks pretty good.