Gastronomy
 Catalan
cuisine, which is typically Mediterranean, is mainly based on products
from the land, which adapt to the different seasons and the region's
cultural and religious traditions. Olive oil, vegetables, fruit, fresh
fish and seafood, cod, pulses, pork in all its variety, many different
cakes, and a wide selection of high quality wines and caves, these
are the basic ingredients of our diet. Olive oil, aromatic herbs,
dried fruit, nuts and fresh produce are the basis of "market cuisine"
which uses products found in the market during a particular season
of the year in its dishes. The Boqueria,
on
La Rambla, is the city's flagship food
market. Its colourful stalls, with their abundance of fruit, vegetables
and fresh fish, are well worth stopping to admire.
The quality of these products and the way they are combined renders
our cuisine both rich and healthy, simple and varied, natural and
refined. It is straightforward but there is a huge variety; you can
find both modern Catalan food and traditional Catalan menus; our cuisine
is one of both smooth and contrasting flavors, appetizing and inviting.
Specialties
 "Calcots",
a type of onion, in spring, mushrooms
in autumn and "escudella", a special stew,
in winter are some of the most typical dishes. Bread
rubbed with tomato, cured meats and paella
are the most common, and can be eaten at most restaurants throughout
the year. We should also give a special mention to tapas:
small portions which allow you to combine fish, meat and vegetable
dishes. In recent years, tapas have established themselves as a different
way of eating a varied light lunch or supper. They are usually accompanied
by a good red or white wine, or the sparkling wine of the region,
cava.
And to finish - a dessert. You will find it hard to resist the crema
catalana, a type of creme brulee, coca,
a flat sponge cake, turron, a type of
nougat, and the wide variety of sweets and cakes, made from cream
and chocolate.
Restaurants
Barcelona has a complete and varied choice of restaurants, ranging
from the most sophisticated - many of them in the Michelin Guide -
to small establishments with the taste and know-how of expert chefs,
and also those specializing in fish, international and ethnic cuisine.
The old city is full of character and charm with it's maze of winding
streets filled with little cafe bars and restaurants, one more beautifully
decorated than the next.
The city also has a funfair on one of its emblematic mountains: Tibidabo.
It has restaurants with their own distinctive style, which offer the
full flavour of Catalan cuisine and a wide variety of international
cooking. |
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