Cultural differences can emerge in the most everyday situations, as demonstrated by a Cuban woman living in Spain through a TikTok video. Rosa Ramírez, who goes by @rosaelena3112 on the platform, was taken aback by her Spanish boyfriend's unwavering dedication to extra virgin olive oil, a staple in Spanish kitchens.
In her video, Rosa humorously shares how, while living with a Spaniard, olive oil seems to be more of a necessity than a luxury: "Living with a Spaniard, you have to accept that extra virgin olive oil runs out before sunflower oil. We bought both on the same day: 3 liters of olive oil and 1 liter of sunflower oil. And now we need more olive oil, while there's still plenty of sunflower left. He doesn't understand that olive oil is more expensive."
The anecdote struck a chord with many Spanish users, who quickly shared their thoughts in the comments, staunchly defending their beloved liquid gold. Some comments proudly highlight their reliance on olive oil: "Olive oil isn't a passion; it's a necessity. Where there's no olive oil, there's no civilization," or "Sunflower oil is useless. Maybe for baking or frying because olive oil is too expensive to use half a bottle at once."
In another video featuring the couple, they discuss how one of the biggest cultural differences is indeed the use of olive oil. Amidst laughter, they joke about how in Cuba, where olives don't grow, the type of oil used for cooking isn't a concern: "We use [extra virgin olive oil] for everything, and in Cuba, there are no olive trees. They don't care if it's olive oil, sunflower oil, or even motor oil," jests the young Spaniard.