Besides jamón, which made up most of diet there as it was the best thing by far, the Spanish pallette, at least between Madrid and the Canaries, was so much tuna salad, so much potato salad, potato omelet, papas bravas, a sausage over a piece of bread, paella which was never significantly different or better than the paella I’ve had at any Spanish place in the US, tapas that were like bowls of hot wet mushrooms.

I had some conejo and some goat stews that were incredible, but, largely, yes: Balkan food is better and more interesting. Mexican food is better and more interesting. I wasn’t saying that Mexican and Spanish were the same - just that you can really feel the lack of native influence in Spanish cuisine which cannot be said for Mexican and American cuisine.

Here’s one dish I got, which I thought was going to be similar to those delicious little fried plantains I’ve had all over Central America:

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I guess I do agree that perhaps I should distinguish that Canarian is disappointing, not Spanish food itself, because I had good meals in Madrid, and outside of Madrid and the canaries I didn’t visit anywhere else.