Food Waste and Leftovers in Spain
Decide what's still good to eat, use up leftovers and take the rest home in a tupper, the Spanish way.
Spanish kitchens have a long tradition of using leftovers: yesterday's cocido becomes croquetas or ropa vieja, and taking leftovers home from a restaurant in a "táper" is normal. Labels distinguish "fecha de caducidad" from "consumir preferentemente", and organic waste goes in the brown bin. The cards follow two flatmates clearing out the fridge and a dinner out in Bilbao.
- 1
¿Crees que esto todavía se puede comer?
Do you think this is still OK to eat?
- 2
Pone que caducó ayer.
The date says yesterday.
- 3
Esa es la de consumo preferente, no la de caducidad.
That's the best-before date, not the use-by date.
- 4
Huélelo antes de tirarlo.
Smell it before you throw it away.
- 5
Se ha puesto malo, huele fatal.
It's gone off, it smells awful.
- 6
El pan se ha quedado duro, podemos hacer pan rallado.
The bread's gone hard, we can make breadcrumbs.
- 7
Con las sobras hacemos croquetas.
We can turn the leftovers into croquetas.
- 8
Vamos a congelarlo antes de que se estropee.
Let's freeze it before it goes bad.
- 9
Ha sobrado un montón, hemos cocinado demasiado.
There are so many leftovers, we cooked way too much.
- 10
Compramos de más y luego tiramos la mitad.
We buy too much and then we throw half of it away.
- 11
Hago la lista de la compra para no comprar de más.
I make a shopping list so I don't buy too much.
- 12
Los yogures que están a punto de caducar están a mitad de precio.
The yogurts near their date are half price.
- 13
Uso una app para comprar comida que les sobra a las tiendas.
I use an app to buy surplus food from shops.
- 14
¿Me pones lo que ha sobrado en un táper?
Could you put the rest in a container for me?
- 15
Claro, es una pena dejarlo.
Of course, it's a shame to leave it.
- 16
Las peladuras van al contenedor marrón.
The peelings go in the brown bin.
- 17
Mi abuela no tiraba nada.
My grandmother never threw anything away.
- 18
Primero hay que acabar lo que hay en la nevera.
We should eat up what's in the fridge first.
- 19
Me duele tirar comida.
Throwing food away hurts me.
- 20
El arroz que sobra está más rico al día siguiente.
Leftover rice is better the next day.