Hello Food Lovers!
If you come to visit Barcelona, you probably already know that La Boqueria market is one of the must-see places in the city.
This market is notorious for its’ long history, fantastic location and of course the gastronomic offer.
Today we want to show you another site of La Boqueria.
The best what you can do to feel the spirit of Catalan atmosphere, is to go to the market in the early morning and have traditional Spanish breakfast. The best hour to visit La Boqueria is 8-9 a.m.
Hello food lovers!
Do you remember our last article about horchata?
Horchata is a vegan drink prepared from a special tuber called chufa, really popular around Spain (mainly in Valencia and Catalunya) . The classic recipe is based on chufas, sugar and water.
Today we will share with you our list of the best horchaterías in Barcelona!
Location: Rambla del Poblenou 44
This Horchatería is placed in Poblenou. Poblenou is an area filled with cafeterias, restaurants and bars. On the main track called La Rambla you can find Horchateria El Tio Che. This place is a traditional, family-run business with a long history. The company started the production of horchata in 1912. For all these years Horchateria El Tio Che gained recognition among locals and people who visit this part of Barcelona.
Do you like festivals?
Have you ever been to a Catalan festa major?
If don’t, NOW you have a unique chance to visit one of the most beautiful districts in Barcelona and become a part of La Festa de Gràcia.
Gràcia is an area of Barcelona, situated in a heart of the city. If you go for a walk to see Park Güell or Sagrada Familia and still don’t have any particular plans for the evening, you should absolutely visit this part of the city and sense a spirit of La Festa de Gracia.
Where is Gracia?
The Festival is notorious for decorated streets and a competition related to these adornments.
Spanish social life wouldn’t exist without sharing food experiences with friends and family. Do you know Vermouth? It is one of the most remarkable drinks served in Catalunya, particularly in Barcelona. Today we want to remind you about this specialty and also share our recommendations. Let’s check it out!
What is vermouth?
Vermouth is an aromatized fortified wine flavored with various botanicals – roots, barks, flowers, seeds, herbs and spices. The origins of Vermouth are not clear, some historians say that combaining wine with certain herbs was actually implemented by Hippocrates (wow!). The other historians claim that the vermouth was born in Italy in the middle of XVIIIth century.
It came to Spain at the turn of XIXth and XXth centruries, this is sure.
At the beginning vermouth was perceived as a specialty which helps to maintain health and keeps in good shape. With the years the perception has changed and now what we expect from drinking vermouth is mainly whetting appetite before having lunch or dinner.
But it is not enough. Whetting appetite is actually an effect, the reason why Catalans go for a glass of wine is simply to meet with friends and family. The time spent on drinking vermouth is the time spent on sharing and living the moment.
Each neighborhood of Barcelona gives an opportunity to try a glass of vermouth. Nonetheless we chose several places which are the most authentic and the best to drink vermouth.
The Poblenou neighborhood is filled with many bars, cafeterias and restaurants but we recommend to get off the main track and walk into the narrow street called Carrer de Marià Aguiló.
Not many seats but vermouth there is worthy to sit even on the curb.
As you can imagine after an evening tour with us, the most advisable is not to carry on walking or dancing for hours. Truth is we eat a lot and everything’s so delicious that all you want is to make the pleasure last in a relaxed way, either enjoying a peaceful walk back home or … drinking a good cocktail.
There are very good Cocktail Bars in Barcelona, but I am only going to talk about three of them today.
Caribbean Club Cocktail Bar
What can we say about this awesome Cocktail bar? To me it is a real jewel! It is a small place therefore a place to talk quietly, ideal to go on your own or with your partner. Juanjo is an amazing bartender on top of being knowledgeable and friendly, and a great conversationalist. He might talk to you about the latest movie by Sorrentino as well as about some rare record of an old Cuban Bolero singer.
In many countries all over the world, the Easter week is synonym of sweetness and chocolate. In this sense, Catalonia is no exception.
During the week prior to Easter you can find a display of a wide variety of fritters, sweets and chocolate figures in every pastry shops of Catalonia. But what actually really stands out in this tradition is the Easter cake known as the “Mona”.
This Easter cake is typical of Catalonia, Valencia, Murcia, Aragon and the Balearic Islands where it has become extremely popular. Traditionally Godparents give the Mona to their godchildren on Easter Sunday and then on Monday (a festivity in Catalonia) the whole family eats the Mona all together at home.
Originally, it was a simple “Tortell” (ring-shaped cake) or doughnut made from flour sugar and eggs, topped with hard-boiled eggs and llonganissa; nowadays it has become a highly elaborate cake with all kinds of funny compositions that differs from the original design. Children’s popular characters made of chocolate or marzipan are now the protagonists, usually accompanied by chocolate eggs. A real pleasure to the eye and, of course, to the palate!
But what does the Mona exactly represent and where does it come from?
We can find the ‘’Mona’’ already mentioned in texts from the fifteenth century, but it is only in 1783 that the term is published for the first time in the Dictionary of Spanish Language of the Royal Spanish Academy with the following definition: “Catalonia, Valencia and Murcia. The baked cake topped with eggs during Easter of Flowers”.
The name ‘’Mona’’ comes from Ancient Arabic “Mûna” which meant “provision of the mouth’’, a gift in the shape of food, and refers to the payments in kind that were made to the Land Lords, usually cakes, eggs or any other agricultural products.
On the other hand, the tradition of the ‘’Mona’’ is also based on the Catholic religion, and more precisely on the passage from the Bible which refers to Jesus’ time in the desert and 40 days of fasting. Lent falls between Ash Wednesday and Easter Sunday and the cake, given on Easter day, symbolizes the end of Lent and the beginning of Spring.
During the period of abstinence, worshippers would not eat meat or eggs; that’s the reason why, in the first place, godfathers used to give saved boiled eggs to their godchildren. Then, this tradition evolved and a simple cake was then added to the eggs.
From the 19th century the ‘’Mona’’ started to lose its initial aspect and acquired a more complex presentation made of candy ornaments, sugared almonds and painted Easter eggs all topped by figurines made of wood, porcelain or paper.
The Mona Today
The tradition has become more sophisticated and different types of Mona have joined the traditional marzipan cake, such as the sweet fruitcake filled with apricot jam or the chocolate one, which is becoming more and more popular.
Moreover, as baking techniques improved, the decoration also has evolved: today La Mona de Pascua is decorated with chocolate glaze, almonds, chocolate eggs, colourful feathers, cartoon characters and even Barça players etc.
Due to this spectacular evolution, the Mona has also gained an important commercial and economical aspect.
This year Catalan bakers expect to sell between 800,000 and 900,000 of them and, according to last year’s figures, each Catalan family will spend an average of 40 -50 € on this delicious Easter cake.
If you are in Barcelona, make sure you don’t miss the spectacular exhibition of Monas!
Only few products originally come from specific areas.
That’s the case for one of the most curious drinks you could find in Spain: Horchata.
This drink comes from the small town of Alboraya, Valencia. Here, during the Moorish kingdom, the Arabs brought the “chufa”, a plant that is also known in English as “tiger-nut”.
You might think that chufa is some kind of peanut… well, you’ll be surprised when you’ll find out that it is actually a tuber!
A delicious tuber whose milk, mixed with sugar and water, creates an energy drink that anyone loves all along the Spanish Mediterranean coast!
If you visit Catalonia or Valencia you can’t just miss it; it’ll also help you surviving the hot summer as it’s incredibly refreshing.
What are you waiting for? Come to Barcelona and enjoy it with us!
Salud!
Have you ever thought about how the simplest things can be a real treat for the senses?
The real secret of food pleasure lies in the quality and genuineness of the products more than in their elaboration. In popular Spanish gastronomy we love good and fresh produce!
This explains why so many dishes that used to belong to the rural or simplest lifestyle of the past, are nowadays so damn expensive if you order them in a restaurant!
Just think about THE classic of Catalan food culture: pa amb tomàquet.
You can find it all over the Spanish Mediterranean coast and in the south of Spain. Continue reading
What is the best plan for a winter season week end?
To join a calçotada, of course! But what is that?
Calçots are a very tasty variety of chives, very popular throughout the Catalan area. Calçots season runs from November to April, but they are consumed mainly from January to March.
They are traditionally grilled on wood embers and outdoors. It’s cold, but tradition is more important!
You will probably have to move to a nearby town, to a restaurant in a farmhouse or, if you are lucky, to the cottage of a friend or relative. Also in the city some places offer calçots.
But above all calçotada is a celebration, the perfect excuse to leave the city, gather with family and friends in the countryside and organize a gastronomic celebration, the kind of celebration we love more than everything!
For many people, the best of all is the sauce that accompanies the calçots: so tasty and vicious you can’t stop eating it! It’s called romesco sauce.
During the calçotadas reunion there are some very specific rules to follow, almost as if you wanted to join the Fight Club 🙂
1st rule of the Calçotada: Do not ever forget your bib! Believe me, you will need it!
2nd rule of the Calçotada: Leave all your good manners at home; you have to eat with your hands and the sauce goes everywhere. It’s the opportunity to enjoy eating like a child!
3rd rule of the Calçotada: Everyone must participate in the preparation!
Knowing the rules, all that remains is to enjoy this funny gastronomic event, the most popular of the winter in Cataluña.
Recipe:
Here you have the recipe for a fantastic Romesco sauce for your Calçots:
Ingredients: (for 4 people)
Preparation:
Leave the peppers, or chorizo pepper, in warm water for a few hours before processing it in order to soften it.
To begin, slowly roast the tomatoes and the garlic in the oven for about 30 minutes. This will be the base of the sauce.
Took the ñora pulp with a small spoon, being careful not to lose any of the content and put it in the mortar.
Then, add the fried (or stale) bread, the almonds and the hazelnuts in the mortar.
Crush all together in a mortar for a while.
When tomatoes and garlic are ready, remove the skin and add them to the dough you already have in the mortar with half a glass of oil.
Finally you can give a touch of electric shredder so that the sauce is smooth. If you see that it lacks creaminess, add a little more of oil, olive oil of course.
A disfrutar!!!
Photo by Calafellvallo
Photo by Javier Roche
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