Education Abroad Peer Advisor, Nora Melican, studied abroad in Oviedo at Temple in Spain during the fall 2023 semester. Learn more about her favorite vegetarian options in Oviedo!
As part of my planning to depart from Spain, I may have missed a key detail: what would I eat? I knew jamón ibérico was a big deal—the country is known for its pork. What I didn’t process was that I was flying into one of the top pork-consuming countries in the world. As a vegetarian.
Clearly I survived, but there was a learning curve. Do you know how much meat just ends up in some dishes? If you’re looking to avoid that, be sure to verify that your food has no meat—no carne, no pollo, no jamón, no pescado, no chorizo, salchicha, morcilla,or embutido.
Pro-tip: if you don’t recognize a word on a menu, double-check the translation. As a Spanish major, I learned a lot of new words for different meats while in Spain, a large percentage of which are types of sausage. But don’t be fooled by people who might be confused by vegetarianism, I promise there are some good options for us, too! Take a look:
Marañuelas de Avilés – Cortes
On my walk to class every day, I passed by a bakery and store called Cortes, right by the Fuente de las palomas (Fountain of the Doves). So every day, I eyed the baked goods they displayed in the window, drooling over fluffy buns and crispy-crusted breads and sugar-coated casadielles, but the first thing I bought from them was a dense, soft bread roll that the staff told was called a marañuela.
I came to understand this as a marañuela de Avilés, originating from the town of Avilés. While marañuelas from Luanco or Candás are more akin to a cookie, marañuelas de Avilés are almost like a brioche or challah. It’s delectable flavor of anise, lemon, and butter made for a nice easy snack on the run between classes (especially during the customary rainy days of Oviedo).
Fried goat cheese – Tierra Astur
Asturias is best known for two foods: cider and cheese. At Tierrastur, you can find traditional Asturian food, but in my humble opinion, the cider and cheese are a must (if you can have them). As is tradition, the servers hold the bottle of cider high above the glass as they pour a small amount, aerating it as they pour. When they hand you your glass, you’re supposed to drink it smooth and slow until it is gone. If you ask me, Asturian cider is all the apple flavor without an overwhelming sugar flavor—it’s utterly delicious.
They’re also known to provide a wide array of cheeses: goat’s, sheep’s, and cow’s; hard and soft; funky, sweet, and nutty. It is a cheese lover’s paradise. Even I, who has hated blue cheese for years, enjoyed their blue cheeses paired with a walnut and a bit of jam. But my favorite, by far, which I dream about to this day, was their fritos de queso de cabra con tomate confitado (fried goat cheese with candied tomato). The goat cheese was creamy and tangy, complemented by the crunch of the breading and the sweetness of the mermalade-like tomato.
Milán Kebab – Falafel
Looking for an affordable meal? Whether it’s the middle of the day or late at night, swing by Milán Kebab, a little place very close to the Campus de Humanidades where you’ll likely take classes at Temple in Spain. For around five euros, you can get falafel on any of three different kinds of wraps—falafel dürüm, falafel kebab, or falafel lahmacun. I tried them all, and they’re all big wins in my book.
The man who made our orders each time we went was very friendly and kind, even though our Spanish seemed at times a little broken. I wish I had gone back to Milán Kebab more for these wraps. The vegetables, sauces, bread, and falafel makes for such a balanced meal, and at half the price of most halal food on Main Campus! Definitely check this place out if you get the chance.
Want to give these a try? Apply to the Temple in Spain program!
