Casa Ibérica is a deli on 25 Johnston St, Fitzroy. The exterior walls are decorated with exotic graffiti featuring cactus, flamenco dancers, national flags of Spain, Colombia, Mexico, Argentina and so on. Casa in Spanish means house, so its name means the house of Iberian Peninsula, the house of Spain and Portugal.
The deli is not spacious and is crowded with shelves presenting a wide variety of products, from shampoos to cooking dishes. An array of Spanish chorizo, ham, and salami are hung from the ceiling above the counter. Casa Iberica is an example of an original and authentic interpretation of Spanish food culture, although this small shop is not limited to Spanish products only. A good selection of condiments is imported from Central America and South America, such as seasonings from Colombia, dried powder chillies from Mexico, pan dulce from Portugal and so on. Due to Quarantine reasons there many products they can’t bring in, so they have collaborated with local companies to make traditional products within Australia.
A mixed smell of spices and cured meat help us quickly indulge in the world of flavours and authenticity. Decoration is unnecessary here. The only thing that does not fit in this environment is the music playing in the house. It was English pop songs playing that reminds us we are still in a modern world.
I resonate with this foodscape when I heard from a Colombian boy who works in a taco restaurant nearby, that he would come to the deli for drinks and chocolates from his country. As an international student coming from China, it would be really heart-warming to discover home product in a far foreign country.
Grace eats Europe 