Receta para turrón (Recipe for Turrón)
Ingedientes:
• 1 kilo de miel (1 kilo of honey)
• 500 g azúcar (500g sugar)
• 2 claras de huevo (2 egg whites)
• 1.500 g almendras (1,500 g almonds)
• 1 limón (1 lemon) Continue reading
Turrón – Spain’s traditional Christmas sweet
This sweet nougat made of almonds, honey sugar and egg white, is one of the most traditional desserts eaten at Christmas in Spain. It is of Arabic origin and was introduced in Spain over 500 years ago by the Moors. It is produced in the town of Jijona, 30 miles to the north of Alicante. The area’s economy is based on the manufacture of turrón and there is even a museum of turrón.
Turrón is produced in this area because the wild flowers on the mountains surrounding Jijona allow mountain bees to produce rich honey, a key ingredient. Along with honey, almonds from local orchards allow the “turroneros” to make this delicious artisan sweet.
Continue reading
How is Christmas celebrated in Spain?
Having spent several Christmases and New Years in Spain, the first thing I noticed is that the celebrations are much more traditional and religious compared to the more commercialised Christmases in England and the US. Spanish people are more family oriented so there is more focus on spending time with the family and less on present giving and materialism. The celebrations last longer too as they also celebrate “Los Reyes” (The King’s Day) on 6th January. Here is what to expect from a typical Spanish Christmas: Continue reading
Trucos útiles para aprender palabras (Useful tricks to learn words)
Here are some tips that can help you to memorise words. Continue reading
Spanish eating customs
Spanish people adore their food and you often hear them discussing recipes, ingredients and meals they have recently eaten or prepared. For Spanish people, eating is a social occasion, not just to conquer hunger. Their mealtimes differ to ours, largely due to the climate and their working hours. Here is a description of the various meals that exist in a typical day for a Spaniard: Continue reading
What makes a good language tutor? – And why VLS has the edge!
I am proud to say that one of the GCSE Spanish students that I have been tutoring has been predicted an A* and all of his friends go to him for help in school! This is down to his hard work, talent and my teaching methods which have been perfected over time. How do you know that you have a good language tutor? Here are some guidelines as to what makes a good tutor: Continue reading
“Ser” and “Estar” with adjectives – can totally change your meaning!
With certain adjectives, your meaning can completely change, depending on whether you use “ser” (the permanent verb for “to be”) or “estar” (the temporary verb for “to be”). Here is a list of the adjectives to watch out for to avoid confusion or embarrassment! Continue reading
Ser and Estar simplified!
Many of my students, including the more advanced learners, struggle with the two verbs meaning “to be” in Spanish and when to use each one. The topic of “Ser versus Estar” is clearly difficult given that whole chapters and even books have been written on the subject! Ser and Estar is a tricky matter especially considering that even Spanish people argue amongst themselves as to which verb should be used in certain contexts. Here are the main uses of each verb: Continue reading
Para or Por?
This is one of the tricky areas of Spanish grammar which confuses most people! The reason being is that both can mean “for”, however they can mean different things in different contexts. I will outline below the key uses of “para” and “por” with examples to help you remember when to use each one: Continue reading
How long does it take to become fluent in Spanish?
I am often asked this by new learners and it is always very difficult to answer as it varies person to person and also depends on many different factors. For some people it may take a few months, for others one to three years or even five years or more for some people. This article looks at ways to become fluent more quickly in Spanish or any language for that matter: Continue reading