Barcelona cuisine is distinguished by its traditional flavours, full of colours and aromas derived from the traditions of the Catalonian region. Specifically, it is composed of fresh ingredients from the Mediterranean coast such as tomatoes, olive oil, peppers, aubergines that are mixed between the sea and the mountains. Start your journey with us among the delicacies of Barça and Bon Profit! (Enjoy your meal).
Discover with us:
🍻 Drinks
Salty food
Pa Amb Tomaquet con Jamon Iberico
A Catalan staple consists of sliced toasted bread with fresh tomatoes, garlic, and a pinch of oil and salt. This simple dish is enjoyed as a snack, and appetizer and there is also a tradition of eating it for breakfast with a cappuccino. Moreover, it is usually accompanied by more substantial food, such as sliced meats, cheese, olives, or precisely by the tasty Jamon Iberico ham.
Tapas
The queens of Barcelona cuisine are definitely the tapas, which locals and tourists alike are always looking for in all the city's restaurants. The most famous are La Bomba, a potato ball filled with meat, deep-fried and served with a special spicy sauce, la botifarra, a very spicy sausage, escalivada a side dish of grilled vegetables, esqueixada de bacalao a cod salad with peppers, onions, tomatoes and vinegar, fried squid, pimientos de Padron small green peppers some sweet others spicy, albondigas meatballs with sauce, usually cooked with pork. Of course, also the patatas bravas, golden, crispy and till hot potatoes accompanied by the brava sauce.
Canelones a la barcelonesa
Stuffed with chicken or pork liver are soft and tasty. Traditionally cooked at Christmas time, they are now a year-round dish.
Bacalao a la catalana
A stew with a base of cod, fried onion and tomato, potatoes, peas, cod, artichokes and hard-boiled egg. Sometimes this dish is accompanied by a strong-tasting alioli sauce made from garlic, olive oil and lemon.
Zarzuela
Super-flavoured fish soup evokes the flavours of the sea, consisting of squid, mussels and prawns as well as fine crustaceans such as scampi and king prawns. Coming directly to the table in its earthenware pot, it is accompanied by toasted bread and white wine. Fun fact for you: its name comes from the theatre: the zarza was the place that became the haunt of the bourgeoisie, to banquet or attends plays.
Sweet food
Crema Catalana
Similar to the French Crème Brulée. It is made with sugar, egg yolks and cinnamon and is burnt on the surface. The nice thing is to break the surface and sink the teaspoon inside. Legend has it that it was invented by some Catalan nuns for the arrival of an important bishop. Traditionally it was eaten on Sundays and feast days, especially on 19 March on the feast of Sant Josep. A variant is also ice cream for summer!
Coca
Well, we are not talking about the most famous drink in the world. But it is a Catalan cake with the most worldwide fame, a typical sweet of the San Juan festivity which is celebrated on 24th June. It is a brioche pastry filled with candied fruit (cherries, diced melon it is a characteristic sweet of the San Juan festivity, celebrated on 24 June. It is a brioche pastry filled with candied fruit (cherries, diced melon, and sliced orange), pine nuts, and marzipan cream. There is also a variant where whipped cream is put in instead of cream. Colourful and pretty, it almost looks like a sugar flower!
Mel y mató
This sweet is honey and cheese-based dessert similar to cottage cheese where the mixture of sweetness becomes heavenly. The cheese is placed in the centre of the dish and sprinkled with honey, but sometimes we can find toppings such as jam and chocolate. You might think of accompanying it with a small glass of Moscatel, a sweetsherry grapes wine with pronounced fruity notes.
Leche frita
Leche frita literally means fried milk. Aren't you curious to find out what it is? Well it is a milk pudding made of flour, cornstarch, sugar, cinnamon and milk that is heated and then cooled to form a block. This is then soaked in flour and egg and then dipped in hot olive oil. Generally, this cake is served at Easter time, but now it has become an ever-present speciality at every street stall.
Churros y chocolate
Famous and very tasty, churros can be found all over Spain, so why not enjoy them during your trip to Barcelona. Impossible not to know them, but for the uninitiated, they are an elongated fried batter, usually sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon, which can be eaten like this or otherwise dipped in hot chocolate. Crispy on the outside and soft on the inside you can find them in renowned chocolate shops and cafés, but also on street stalls.
Drinks
Granizado
A super-refreshing drink perfect for the scorching heat of Barcelona and much loved by Catalans is the granizado made of crushed ice mixed with coffee or lemon or orange juice. On the same ideology of a cool drink you can also find horchata, which although originating in Valencia is also prepared in Barcelona, made with water, sugar and nuts (chufas mojadas).
Sangria
Sangria is made from wine, spices and fruit water (or soda), sugar, lemon, and other additives. Fresh and sweet, its ingredients cloves, cinnamon and vanilla make it delicious. To be enjoyed either as an aperitif among friends or as a cocktail at the end of the night on the Barceloneta.
Cava
The best known sparkling wine in Spain is certainly Cava, 95% of which is produced in the Catalonia region. Its bubbles and bright, golden colour make it a fine wine. It should be served cold and goes very well with almost any type of course, but it is at its best with a dessert.
Ratafià
Delicious liqueur a liqueur made from green walnuts macerated in grappa is ideal to complete your meal given its 15% to 30% alcohol content. That is why we have included it at the end of the article. The time when the drink is most consumed is during the Sant Joan festival (24 June) as the ingredients harvested during that night are said to bring good luck. Beware, however, that you can also find this liqueur in Italy, and it is totally different as it is made with red fruits.
This is the end of out article on typical food in Barcelona. If you are a real foodie, discover our other articles on food around the world such as in Turkey, Portugal, and others. Follow us on Instagram @thewalkingparrot to be alerted when new articles are published!
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