fast food outlets

fast food outlets
   Street vendors traditionally provided "food to go" in busy urban thoroughfares and at festive events, and they still do, especially selling churros (deep fried dough shaped into ribbed sticks, coated with sugar), roast chestnuts, garrapiñadas (syrup-coated dry roasted almonds) or perritos (hot dogs), mostly regarded as snacks rather than proper food. Demographic changes during the 1950s and 1960s saw the emergence of a primarily urban population whose hectic lifestyle demanded catering outlets specializing in promptly served, in-expensive fare. Snack bars and cafeterías started to fill the niche in the market, offering fixed menus of platos combinados all day. Whereas tapas, small portions of food consumed at the bar with drinks, tend to be ordered when socializing with a group of people and are normally shared, the plato combinado is an individual one-dish meal consisting of meat, fish or eggs, vegetables and potatoes or rice.
   American-style burger bars (hamburgueserías) and pizzerías started to appear in the late 1970s and early 1980s, but the presence of large catering multinationals was not evident until the mid-1980s. While they command a good share of the fast food market, especially among teenage consumers, the Spanish taste for bocadillos (filled baguettes), tapas and other traditional dishes has offered opportunities for small local businesses to evolve (bocaterías), especially those that provide a delivery service. Spaniards may like their food served fast, but they do not normally like to consume it on the hoof; even if there has been a growth in the take-away sector, which only started in the late 1980s, most people will consume the food at home. Some restaurants offer the possibility of ordering full traditional meals (e.g. paella, roast lamb or seafood), including wine, and having them delivered.
   RAMÓN PARRONDO

Encyclopedia of contemporary Spanish culture. 2013.

Игры ⚽ Нужна курсовая?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Fast food — is the term given to food that can be prepared and served very quickly. While any meal with low preparation time can be considered to be fast food, typically the term refers to food sold in a restaurant or store with low quality preparation and… …   Wikipedia

  • fast food — UK US noun [U] ► hot food that is cooked and served very quickly in special restaurants. Fast food is often the type of food you can take away to eat, for example hamburgers or fried chicken: »Dicos is a fast food chain that is becoming… …   Financial and business terms

  • Fast food restaurant — McDonald s is the largest fast food restaurant chain in the world. [cite web |title=R I Top 400 Chain Restaurants 2007|url=http://www.rimag.com/archives/2007/07a/top 400.asp|publisher= Restaurants Institutions |accessdate=2008 02 10 ] ] A fast… …   Wikipedia

  • Fast Food Nation — Infobox Book name = Fast Food Nation title orig = translator = image caption = Paperback edition author = Eric Schlosser illustrator = cover artist = country = United States language = English series = subject = Fast food genre = Non fiction… …   Wikipedia

  • fast food (Chinese and Western clones) — In contemporary China, there is a wide array of ready to eat food establishments that can be considered fast food: Western chain stores, Chinese imitations serving Western style foods, Chinese fast food restaurants serving Chinese foods, and… …   Encyclopedia of Contemporary Chinese Culture

  • fast food — Food served in restaurants or other outlets with limited and standardized menus. They are often takeaway or self service establishments offering the same quality of product throughout the country or, in some cases, internationally …   Big dictionary of business and management

  • Food —    The situation with food, restaurants, and diet changed from extreme scarcity in the late Soviet period to extraordinary abundance after 2000. Simultaneously, the food on offer transitioned from the stereotypically bland menus and inefficient… …   Historical Dictionary of the Russian Federation

  • Food desert — A food desert is an urban district with little or no access to foods needed to maintain a healthy diet, but often served by plenty of fast food restaurants.The concept of access may be interpreted in three separate ways. Physical access to shops… …   Wikipedia

  • food court — noun an area (as in a shopping mall) where fast food is sold (usually around a common eating area) • Hypernyms: ↑court, ↑courtyard • Part Holonyms: ↑plaza, ↑mall, ↑center, ↑shopping mall, ↑shopping center, ↑ …   Useful english dictionary

  • food and drink —    The increasing pace of life, which is a feature of modern and especially urban Spain, together with cultural influences from outside the country, have effected many changes in eating and drinking habits.    Traditional Spanish dishes are… …   Encyclopedia of contemporary Spanish culture

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”