Last thoughts on Extremadura

Blood sausage could not look more revolting. It's like a big turd, served up on a plate, but it's really, really good. I'm a little embarassed to be seen eating it, it looks so much like poop, but it's worth it. It's really popular here, especially in Guadalupe, although maybe only among tourists since they seem to be the only people in the restaurants. Most of the restaurants in Guadalupe are on the square in front of the monstery and I'm imagining that they all share one big underground kitcen, because the food is pretty much indistinguishable. Not bad, just all the same.

Extramaduran food in general is pretty hearty. (I think sometimes they put jamón in their gazpacho.) One of the popular dishes here is migas, basically stuffing but with big hunks of assorted pork products. Because of the hunting thing you see rabbit and partridge on menus a lot. I never got around to trying either (bad me!), but I did have duck once here and liked it more than I usually like duck. And torta de casar, soft sheep cheese, is really popular here. I wasn't that impressed: I pretty much like cheese as long as it's not blue, but I think I prefer regular old hard sheep cheese. If you order wine here without specifying red or white, you usually get vino de pitarra; not sure what that means exactly, but it's starting to grow on me. It's light red and kinda spicy and served cold; it even works okay with fish. Cherries are popular in northern Extremadura; they drink this cherry-based liquor that I wanted to like but tasted like terpentine.

And they do lots of stuff with acorns (bellotas). They make this acorn liquor that's not bad, way better than the cherry liquor, kinda subtle and sweet but not too sweet. I had this desert made from acorns and almonds and eggs that was also subtle and sweet and good. And like everywhere in Spain, the really good expensive jamón comes from acorn-fed pigs. Not just for squirrels.