SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - Swordfish, raw sardines, serrano ham, churros and other authentic Spanish cuisine were sampled by Sir John Franklin High School students over the March break during a trip to Madrid.

Twenty-three students from Sir John's Culinary Travel Club travelled to Spain on March 4 and returned on the 12th.

"Spain looked like an interesting tour," said Alison Cartwright, the Culinary Travel Club's foods instructor at the school.

Cartwright said Spanish food is rich in history with Moorish and Christian influences. She said three students were brave enough to try swordfish, and a few others tasted fresh sardines with the heads still attached. Cartwright, along with her husband Alan, teacher Robyn Stewart, and chef Travis Stewart were chaperons on the trip. Students explored the Spanish capital, visiting castles and art galleries.

"A lot of them have been to Mexico, Hawaii or Cuba but most had never been overseas," said Cartwright.

Grade 11 student Amelia Wiseman said she enjoyed experiencing Spain's unique culture.

"They eat appetizers for every meal," said Wiseman referring to tapas. "Chocolate for breakfast was good."

The students noticed the difference in culture as soon as they stepped off the plane.

"Around here it's kinda boring," Grade 11 student Rebecca Gibbons said of Yellowknife. "Here we have spray paint, where Spain has art around every corner."

"And even their spray paint is artistic," added Rashmani Chakrabarty, also in Grade 11.

Each of the students managed to provide about $4,000 to go on the trip, and fundraised additional money by hosting two dinners for emergency funds and to cover the cost of lunches overseas.

Gibbons raised the entire cost of her trip by returning bottles and cans.

"I refuse to do recycling now," joked Gibbons.

As part of the tour, the students went to the Museo del Prado, which is considered to be one of the finest art museums in the world.

"It was beautiful," said Gibbons. "The painters put so much emotion into their work."

During the trip students said they experienced a bit of a language barrier.

"Sitting in the restaurant, I would just point to the picture of the potatoes," Gibbons said.

"At the end of the meal, the cook would come out and kiss you on both cheeks, you don't have that kind of thing in Yellowknife."

Some of the foods the students tried included churros, a fried-dough pastry served with authentic hot chocolate; serrano, a dry-cured Spanish ham; and different varieties of tapas.

"The seafood paella was my favourite meal," said Wiseman.

Overall the trip was a memorable experience for students.

"It opens your eyes," said Chakrabarty. "You think we may have it good because of the economy, but they have history."

Next school year will be Cartwright's last year teaching at the school, but she hopes to make the Culinary Travel Club trip an annual event.

"There's talk about going to Japan for next year," she said.