Barcelona Food
Spain is famed for being a foodie’s paradise and Barcelona is amongst these. Being located in Catalonia, there are a number of dishes which are specific to this area, but there are also a number of classics too. Here’s my food journey in Barcelona. What we ate and what we would have eaten, should we have stayed longer.
Tapas
This is one of first things that pop to mind when you think of Spanish or Barcelona food. We ate tapas on more than one occasion. It suited our itinerary to have small dishes and we got to sample more dishes. In a restaurant at the Waterfront, we ordered a whole heap of fish dishes. When by the water, what else would you order?
Fried small fishes, which we believed to be whitebait
Patatas Bravas, with a garlic sauce
Tempura vegetables
Prawn cocktail
Mixed fish stuffed balls
Prawn salad
One also to order is the Catalan classic, Pan a la Catalana (or Pan Con Tomate depending on where you are ordering it). Which is bread rubbed with fresh tomatoes and garlic and drizzled with olive oil. Often it can be found topped with cheese, ham or sausage.
Escudella
This is also known as Catalan stew. It’s made up of meat, beans, potatoes, cabbage and pasta. Served in two courses. The first is the soup from the stew and the second, the meat, vegetables and the carbohydrates. This isn’t something we tried, but definitely one I would try when I return.
By Tamorlan (Own work) [CC BY 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons
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This is prized ham is made from pigs only fed on acorns (bellota). The meat is cured and aged for three years, so it held in great esteem. There are four different grades of Iberico ham, the de Bellota being the finest.
Paella
We of course had to try paella. We went to a very nice looking restaurant off Las Ramblas called Taverna Bisbe and ordered three mixed paellas and one veggie one. I can honestly say this was the most amazing paella I have ever eaten. I have made a half-decent paella once or twice (if I say so myself) and I’ve been cooked it a few times whilst on holiday in Spain, but this surpassed all of them. When the paella arrived, I didn’t think much of the way it looked. It looked a bit watery as there was a lot of moisture still in the pan. But as this absorbed, it fluffed up the rice and made it even tastier.
Crema Catalana
If you adore Crème Brulée, you’ll like this. It’s the Spanish version of the dish. Like Crème Brulée, it is made with sugar, egg yolks, lemon and cinnamon.
I hope this summary of Barcelona food has made you hungry! I’ve put together a little video of some of our highlights of Barcelona (including the yummy food). I invite you to watch.
Read more posts in the Food & Drink Category
I love Spanish food and that dessert looks amazing, I'll be googling that recipe to try out. Thanks for linking up to #SundaySweets, hope to see you back tomorrow x
Thanks for hosting Toni. I know, it looks amazing doesn't it?
Having been to Spain quite a lot (southern spain in Mijas) I really like authentic Spanish Tapas. Looking at all this food has made me want to go back. Thanks for linking to #PickNMix x
Ooh Crema Catalana sounds pretty amazing to me! You've made me so hungry,
Thanks for linking up to #PicknMix
Stevie x
If you like Panna Cotta you'll love Crema Catalana. I know, my mouth was watering when I wrote this. I could remember how good the food tasted. It was heavenly.
Love this! Once again you have taken me on a trip vicariously. Loved the quick vacation! LOL I love tapas, my favorite type of dinner is a noshy one, a bit of this, and a bit of that. I have made paella before too, but mine was drier, and this one looks far more tasty. I'll have to try making more broth for it, it looks scrumptious!!! And the video is awesome, I could sit by that fountain and watch for a bit, it's really cool. And your friends? Hilarious! Especially the slow mo running bit!!!! LOL
Yes I was surprised by how much liquid there was in the dish when the paella came out, but because the pan was hot, it worked well and the rice kept getting bigger and fluffier. I'll definitely be trying that one with my next paella too Nikki. Thanks - I know, they had me in stitches too. To be fair, the fountain was playing Chariots of Fire, hence the slow-mo running.
Gotta love tapas!!! Not only in Barcelona, but down here in Cadiz it's my favourite dish to have with friends to share!!! The jamon is a must as well of course...but all the dishes you mentioned are really great and delicious! It's always fun to try new foods, I love it!
I bet. I'm not jealous at all Katrin. I bet your tapas is out of this world. I'll have to have a go at cooking some of my favourites again.
We have a local restaurant downtown called San Chez. They are known for their tapas and paella. We've only gotten the tapas, we order a bunch and they are so delicious, but we never have room for anything else!
That sounds delicious. I love going out for tapas. We've just had a Spanish restaurant recently open near us, so we should visit soon. No I don't blame you, tapas always looks like small portions but they always make me full up.
I love the look of Escudella - I'll definitely be giving that a go. I love globecooking so I'm always looking out for new recipes to try 🙂 #LifeLovingLinkie
Yes Spanish cooking is so inspiring, I love cooking these sort of dishes. Paella is one of our favourites. Glad to be able to inspire you Cheryl.
Yummy!!!! All of this looks amazing and I literally just ate supper! Lol
#AnythingGoes
-Megz
I suspect everyone has room for yummy tapas at any time Megz.