“It is simply impossible to understand Spain without understanding its food. Food to a Spaniard is a source of pride, a way to live; it is central to our identity. You can say pretty much anything to a Spanish person and have a fair chance of making up with a proper apology, but if you insult our mothers, our food, or — worse — the food of our mothers, then that’s it. Food is nourishment of course but food, meals, la mesa are how Spaniards connect and maintain the social bonds.”