“Eat where the locals eat” is my motto when travelling, but what about “eat with the locals?” Now there’s an experience.
It’s been awhile since I first got clued into the concept of dining in people’s stranger’s homes, so the idea wasn’t too new or shocking for me. In fact, the whole sharing economy thing has kind of kicked off in Spain, more so than other countries, and my personal opinion is that it is because of two reasons.
Firstly, high youth unemployment and a poor economic situation means that many people are working only part time, or in low paid jobs. This means the millennials are becoming creative about how to earning a living. But it’s not only a thing about finances. Secondly, it’s about the passion for their country, their culture, and sharing it with others.
So when I heard Withlocals, a website that connects with travellers with locals in order for the travellers to share meals in the locals’ home, were expanding from Asia and across the shores to Spain, I wasn’t in the least surprised that they had chosen here to be their next destination. And of course, when they asked me to go and check out one of their new experiences in Seville, I jumped at the chance.
Searching for experiences on the Withlocals website
While I was excited at the prospect, not only of the experience but also meeting new people in a city I have recently begun to call home, I was still nervous. I mean, firstly, the fact I can’t eat gluten (hasta luego bread and flour!) is a downright pain when it comes to the logistics of eating out, or even worse, in people’s’ houses (I don’t want to be that person). But I would find out when I arrive, much to my relief, my Withlocals host was not only super accommodating, but took my request very seriously, and made sure there was no products containing gluten on the table.
So on a recent Friday night, my flatmate and I hopped on our bicycles, battled the 40+ degree heat that Seville was pounding down on us, and made our way to Dámaris’s house to enjoy dinner with her, her flatmate and another friend. After all, a meal is best shared with others!
As soon as we arrived, any worries about the situation were immediately put at ease when we were greeted by our smiling host. Dámaris is one of those people that you can’t help but instantly like as soon as you meet her. Smiling, cheerful and just all round friendly, she’s exactly the kind of person you want to be on the other side of the door when you arrive at a stranger’s home. I knew we were going to have a good evening.
We sat down at the carefully prepared table, and began quenching our thirst with Dámaris homemade lemonade – an absolutely necessary in Seville’s hot summer weather. The first course was already laid out ready on the table, and we began to dig in immediately. Dámaris had very kindly adjusted the menu to be gluten free, so we chowed down on a wonderful tabbouleh which usually is prepared with couscous or bulgur wheat, but in this case the couscous had been replaced with quinoa.
Amazing hummus and tabbouleh prepared freshly by Dámaris
She prepared two great dips to go along with the tabbouleh, and in place of the bread we had corn chips instead. One was a homemade hummus (something that I love when it’s prepared freshly!) and the other was a dip that I couldn’t get enough of, which was a lovely combination of cream cheese, yoghurt and spices which just worked. So much so, that they had to politely warn myself and my friend that there was a second course along the way, as we were going back for seconds, thirds… and perhaps fourths too. Come on, you know me.
While the starters had an international feel to them, the main course that Dámaris prepared was something very typically Spanish, and something that I happen to love. Something that surprises many visitors to Spain is that in Spain we eat eggs not for breakfast, but for lunch and dinner. I will never forget the look on a Spanish friends face when I took him for brunch once, and ordered Eggs Benedict. Anyone would have thought I committed a crime against food.
Over the years I have become well adjusted to the ideas of scrambling some eggs to eat at lunch or dinner, with a whole possibly list of combination of ingredients that could be used, and it’s something I do often at home. But the revuelto (scrambled eggs) that Dámaris prepared for us was a combination of ingredients I hadn’t attempted to make before. Two things which are staples on the dinner table in Spain. Bacalao (salt cod) and potato.
The combination of three simple ingredients just really, well works, and my flatmate and I were gushing over how good it tasted, and with every mouthful declaring that it was something we absolutely were going to attempt at home one day soon (spoiler: we still haven’t done it!). Our dessert was a really nice and fresh fruit salad, although, after all the food we didn’t have much room left to eat loads more! A successful meal is always one that ends up with a full belly.
My flatmate, Dámaris, and myself!
The world is getting so small and travel is becoming accessible to more people than ever, but it also means that with a high number of tourists – especially in popular cities – finding an authentic experience was becoming harder than ever. But the more people travel, the more people realise the importance of having an authentic experience when travelling, the importance of really getting under the fingernails of a destination, and of course, in order to do both of the aforementioned things, the importance of connecting with locals.
It’s the locals, after all, that are the unwritten guidebooks. They know about their home town. They know about the best things to do, where to see, where to eat. They know the paces where locals hang out, and the places where you will only find other tourists.
But it’s not even about the logistical information. They know the stories of the place – and not any old stories, their own personal stories of life and everything in-between. The things that no guidebook can tell you. The things that no Google search can reveal. But how do you get such a connection with locals? That’s where Withlocals comes in. Even as a tourist in my own city, I still gained from the experience and at the same time, have made a wonderful new friend!
Have you made use of the sharing websites like Withlocals to dine in people’s homes while travelling? Tell me about it in the comments below!
Thank you to the Withlocals for inviting me on this tasty experience in Seville. Of course, all words and opinions are my own.
Katie Featherstone says
Hi Cyra,
This is such an awesome concept, I had no idea it existed outside of random encounters. I love eating with local people if it’s an option. So much of our cultures revolves around food, so it’s really the best way to “immerse” yourself. The food looks delicious and actually pretty healthy, so I’m really quite jealous of the whole thing!
Katie
p.s. Did you know that your twitter share button is linked to your old account? No worries if you can’t change it, I just thought you might be missing out on some publicity.
Cyra says
Hi Katie,
I didn’t know that, thank you so much for telling me!! It’s really great, I recommend you try it sometime. You can find everything from simple home dinners to grand affairs – I just organised to go to an experience like this in Barcelona with 2 friends who are Michelin star chefs! So there really is every kind of experience on offer, and something for everyone 🙂