The wonderful tradition of "Sobremesa"!

 Here at Jacaranda Spain, we like to embrace all things Spanish. Those of you who live in Spain, will be aware of the tradition of “sobremesa”, even if you didn´t know there was a word for it! You will have noticed families, at tables in restaurants, who sit long after their meal, talking animatedly, sometimes for hours! Normally around now, we would offer you a translation of the word “sobremesa”. The literal translation is; “about or upon the table”. There simply isn´t a word for it in English, or any other language.

 Sobremesa is the word that is used solely to refer to the time spent chatting, relaxing and enjoying the company of your fellow diners after a meal. The Spanish regularly eat meals in large gatherings, especially at weekends, so sobremesa is a regular habit. For some families it only happens once a week and so this is the time when they “hang out” and catch up on each others lives, at the end of the meal, during coffee, tea or a digestif liqueur. 

 This is the time when most of us foreigners get ready to go home or leave the restaurant, but in Spain the social hour is just beginning. It is a time to relax, to "chew the fat", to debate politics or discuss opinions. It is not a time for small talk, but nor is it a time for arguments. That´s not to say there are no strong opinions, it is more about good manners and respect. It is the time when families talk about their hopes and aspirations, and everyone gets to speak. 

 Furthermore, a good argument in favour of sobremesa, is that it is a time to allow your food to digest before returning to work or going home to bed. The typical western routine means that many of us go to bed on a full stomach, which has been proven to be detrimental to the digestive process and can result in unhealthy weight gain.

 As newly re-located foreigners this tradition took some getting used to when we arrived in Spain, many years ago. In fact, there may well have been times when we appeared rude or disrespectful. We were keen to integrate, and always accepted an invitation to dine with Spanish neighbours and acquaintances, but we did wonder why we were always the first to leave. Actually, little did we know then, we were missing the best part of the event!