Food in all its forms is part of the cultural tradition of Barcelona. A variety of cuisine can be found here, using the gifts of the sea and the land, with sweet and salty ingredients often included in the same dish.
When planning a visit to Barcelona, be sure to try at least one of Catalonia’s business card dishes. Better yet, plan your pastime in such a way as to devote time to each of these dishes, they deserve it.
- Catalan paella
This is perhaps the most traditional Spanish dish. Previously, paella was a farmer’s food, and today almost every restaurant includes a paella dish on its menu. Paella is made from rice. Seafood or chicken, pork, veal are added to rice. In Catalonia, the most common option is with seafood.
- Tapas (pinchos)
Tapas, also called pintxos, are typical Spanish snacks and are very popular in Barcelona, especially with tourists. They are made from cold meats, cheeses, fish or seafood and vegetables, on slices of toasted bread
Tourists and local gourmets love to go from bar to bar and try tapas, the recipe of which is different for each restaurant. Typical Spanish dishes can also be found in the eateries:
- patatas bravas – cubes of fried potatoes in a sauce;
- croquetas – meatballs, usually pork;
- tortilla de patatas – potato tortilla or Spanish omelet.
- gazpacho
Gazpacho is one of the most famous dishes of Spanish and Catalan cuisine. This is a cold soup that is especially pleasant to eat in summer. Gazpacho is very healthy, as it is prepared from raw vegetables (mainly tomatoes), so all vitamins are preserved.
- Cold cuts and cheeses
The main ingredient in Spanish cuisine is pork. A large number of excellent types of ham and sausages are made from it.
In Barcelona, be sure to try the famous Serrano ham and fuet and longaniza sausages:
- Fuet is made from pork and is similar to our hunting sausages, tastes like salami;
- Longaniza (longaniza) – also from pork and outwardly similar to the rings of Krakow sausage.
The locals usually eat them as a snack along with bread, called Pan con tomate in Spanish or Pan amb tomaquet in Catalan dialect.
- Serrano ham with bread and tomatoes
This dish is more of an appetizer than a full meal, delicious with beer. Serrano ham is served in thin slices with white bread, on which tomatoes are also grated in a thin layer. The name of this ham comes from the word sierra – a mountain range where salting and drying of meat in a natural way takes place throughout the year
- Catalan cream
Delicious Catalan dessert, very reminiscent of French crème brulee. Made with milk, eggs, caramel and caramelized sugar.
- Turron
Turron is a traditional Catalan sweet made with almonds, honey and sugar. It is a very sweet and tough delicacy that is good to bring as a traditional souvenir.
There are several different varieties of Turron, the milder version is made with the addition of olive oil. You can also add hazelnuts instead of almonds. Many sweet shops offer small pieces of Turron before purchasing.