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Articles > Europe > Spain > Barcelona > Tasting Barcelona - Things You Must Have When You Visit The City
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Tasting Barcelona - Things You Must Have When You Visit The City
Spanish gastronomy has enjoyed much popularity over recent years, and Mediterranean cuisine on a whole is often regarded as one of the healthiest regarding balanced diet. Ferran Adria's restaurant in northern Catalunya, "El Bulli" is considered by some of the world's most acclaimed critics to be the best restaurant in the world at the moment. However, with so much on offer, and so many restaurants in Barcelona, like any city, it's easy to miss a few of the classic Catalan dishes. What worse feeling is there to getting home and your friends and colleagues saying "What?! You mean you didn't try the ....?!" Well, here's a quick list of those un-missable culinary delights that are on offer.
Pan Tomaquet. This sounds really simple, but it's so great, and the majority of tapas and sandwiches in Barcelona are served in this way. It's basically bread (be it, baguette, chapatta, slices of toast, etc.) rubbed with raw tomato and olive oil. Variations include rubbing toasted bread with raw garlic, then the raw tomato and then the olive oil drizzled on top. Sounds simple, but it is mouth-wateringly good, and when I've gone out dining many times, you often polish off the tomato bread so quickly that your starter doesn't quite have the same shine!
Continuing from the above suggestion, we have the amazing Spanish cured hams, but in particular "Jamon Iberico pata negra" which refers to a specific breed of Iberic Hogs "black trotter" – who are fed solely on acorns – which gives an incredible taste to their meat. It's the most expensive of hams, so avoid the restaurants, and pop into the "boqueria" market on Las Ramblas, pick up a couple of slices (ask for birutas, which are wafer thin slices), get your bread and tomato and you have a self-made picnic right there. Be sure to get some of the pata negra chorizos (spicy sausage) while you're there, too – amazing!
What visit to Barcelona – the Catalan Capital – could be complete without trying the various Cavas on offer. The Penedes region is only 40 minutes from Barcelona, and such brands as Codorniu, Freixenet, and many others on the cava trail are a must to be tasted whilst in the city. Unlike Champagne, Cavas seem to go down easier – maybe due to the fact that you don't need to buy a really expensive bottle for it to taste anywhere near nice (personal experience, and not much at that!).
The town of Badalona is just north of Barcelona, over the river Besos, and is also famous for its biggest export "Anis de mono" - an aniseed liqueur. This is one that I'd advise having in a restaurant, as it means if you don't like it, then you haven't bought the full bottle (although they are also very decorative). It's often served after heavy meals, and is said to aid digestion, similar to other herbal spirits such as fernet branca, etc.
Almost every celebration in Barcelona (and there are many) involves the customary bottle of Cava (see above) and also the "cocas" from the local bakeries. These are thin, bread-like pastries, usually decorated with pine nuts, dried comfit fruits, etc. and sell by the bucket load. No party is complete without them. Such is the draw in fact, that many bakers make these sweet cakes all year round, so it's easy to stumble across some, even if you don't happen to co-inside with a "fiesta"!
Paella – OK, so maybe Barcelona wasn't the birthplace of Paella, but with the Mediterranean Sea on your doorstep, there are soooo many seafood restaurants – many in Barceloneta area; the old fisherman's quarters with its tiny streets. Avoid the Paella places on Las Ramblas, or generally anywhere which has a photo of one outside, and go for the real deal in a proper seafood restaurant.
Calçots & Romesco. This is a seasonal thing, so if you're in Barcelona in the early part of the year (February till around May if you're lucky), then many restaurants will serve Calçots, always accompanied with romesco sauce. These vegetables are kind of a cross between a leek and an onion (they look like fat spring onions, but without the bulb – they're one shape like a leek). They are cooked on a barbeque/grill until charred, and then you peel away the blackened skin, dip in the sauce and then much down – it's all part of the show as well, you see. The Romesco sauce is a delicious mix of dried tomatoes, garlic, almonds, olive oil and a few other ingredients that I don't remember, but it's delicious! Often a bib is served when you are given Calcots, as it's expected that you'll get dirty!
Which leads me onto my final recommendation – snails. No, no, hear me out! This is another dish where a bib is more then often served when you are given them. Many countries eat snails, and I've never seen the draw but if you're going to try them, the Catalans do a great version. Instead of steaming them/boiling them/making soup, etc. the snails are completely covered in ground black pepper and salt, and then put over a heat in a pan. Your dish is served still in the pan, so no slimy, bloated snails, as you get in boiled versions, more like a well-cooked piece of shellfish. You're usually given a long stick like a toothpick to eat them, and it really is worth a go – they're cheap, and it's a great dish to be sat in front of you to tell the folks back home!
Pan Tomaquet. This sounds really simple, but it's so great, and the majority of tapas and sandwiches in Barcelona are served in this way. It's basically bread (be it, baguette, chapatta, slices of toast, etc.) rubbed with raw tomato and olive oil. Variations include rubbing toasted bread with raw garlic, then the raw tomato and then the olive oil drizzled on top. Sounds simple, but it is mouth-wateringly good, and when I've gone out dining many times, you often polish off the tomato bread so quickly that your starter doesn't quite have the same shine!
Continuing from the above suggestion, we have the amazing Spanish cured hams, but in particular "Jamon Iberico pata negra" which refers to a specific breed of Iberic Hogs "black trotter" – who are fed solely on acorns – which gives an incredible taste to their meat. It's the most expensive of hams, so avoid the restaurants, and pop into the "boqueria" market on Las Ramblas, pick up a couple of slices (ask for birutas, which are wafer thin slices), get your bread and tomato and you have a self-made picnic right there. Be sure to get some of the pata negra chorizos (spicy sausage) while you're there, too – amazing!
What visit to Barcelona – the Catalan Capital – could be complete without trying the various Cavas on offer. The Penedes region is only 40 minutes from Barcelona, and such brands as Codorniu, Freixenet, and many others on the cava trail are a must to be tasted whilst in the city. Unlike Champagne, Cavas seem to go down easier – maybe due to the fact that you don't need to buy a really expensive bottle for it to taste anywhere near nice (personal experience, and not much at that!).
The town of Badalona is just north of Barcelona, over the river Besos, and is also famous for its biggest export "Anis de mono" - an aniseed liqueur. This is one that I'd advise having in a restaurant, as it means if you don't like it, then you haven't bought the full bottle (although they are also very decorative). It's often served after heavy meals, and is said to aid digestion, similar to other herbal spirits such as fernet branca, etc.
Almost every celebration in Barcelona (and there are many) involves the customary bottle of Cava (see above) and also the "cocas" from the local bakeries. These are thin, bread-like pastries, usually decorated with pine nuts, dried comfit fruits, etc. and sell by the bucket load. No party is complete without them. Such is the draw in fact, that many bakers make these sweet cakes all year round, so it's easy to stumble across some, even if you don't happen to co-inside with a "fiesta"!
Paella – OK, so maybe Barcelona wasn't the birthplace of Paella, but with the Mediterranean Sea on your doorstep, there are soooo many seafood restaurants – many in Barceloneta area; the old fisherman's quarters with its tiny streets. Avoid the Paella places on Las Ramblas, or generally anywhere which has a photo of one outside, and go for the real deal in a proper seafood restaurant.
Calçots & Romesco. This is a seasonal thing, so if you're in Barcelona in the early part of the year (February till around May if you're lucky), then many restaurants will serve Calçots, always accompanied with romesco sauce. These vegetables are kind of a cross between a leek and an onion (they look like fat spring onions, but without the bulb – they're one shape like a leek). They are cooked on a barbeque/grill until charred, and then you peel away the blackened skin, dip in the sauce and then much down – it's all part of the show as well, you see. The Romesco sauce is a delicious mix of dried tomatoes, garlic, almonds, olive oil and a few other ingredients that I don't remember, but it's delicious! Often a bib is served when you are given Calcots, as it's expected that you'll get dirty!
Which leads me onto my final recommendation – snails. No, no, hear me out! This is another dish where a bib is more then often served when you are given them. Many countries eat snails, and I've never seen the draw but if you're going to try them, the Catalans do a great version. Instead of steaming them/boiling them/making soup, etc. the snails are completely covered in ground black pepper and salt, and then put over a heat in a pan. Your dish is served still in the pan, so no slimy, bloated snails, as you get in boiled versions, more like a well-cooked piece of shellfish. You're usually given a long stick like a toothpick to eat them, and it really is worth a go – they're cheap, and it's a great dish to be sat in front of you to tell the folks back home!
About the Author
David Brydon is an Englishman living in Barcelona, Spain. He is married and has 2 children. He has been working in the vacation apartment rentals business for 7 years. David writes about Barcelona apartments.
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