Walk into the Corte Ingles, or any other large supermarket. Visit La Boquería. Stop in a family-run grocery store. And look for the spice rack. You may have trouble finding it. And when you do, you’ll be surprised at how small it is. This is nor a land of curries. Despite the common language with Mexico, this is not a land of chillies. Here you’ll find sugar and nice, but very little spice. To the Spaniard a food should taste of what it is, and it should not burn the tongue. You may find yourself longing for a little hint of spice now and then, and hope to satisfy it by stepping into one of the foreign restaurants in the major cities. And when you do you’ll find the Mexican fare doused of its characteristic flame; the Indian reduced to blandness; the Chinese robbed of its Chineseness. Spicy barbccue? Nah. Your avenge Spanish recipe doesn’t even call for black pepper, and you won’t normally see it in restaurants.