Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
RESTAURANTS
CATALAN FOOD AND DISHES
Traditional Catalan food places heavy emphasis on meat, olive oil, garlic, fruit and salad.
Thecuisineistypifiedbyawillingnesstomixflavours,sosavourydishescookedwithnuts
or fruit are common, as are salads using both cooked and raw ingredients.
Meat
isusuallygrilledandservedwithafewfriedpotatoesorsalad,thoughCatalansaus-
age served with a pool of haricot beans is a classic menu item. Stewed veal and other cas-
seroles are common, while poultry is sometimes mixed with seafood (chicken and prawns)
or fruit (chicken or duck with prunes or pears) for tastes very definitely out of the Spanish
mainstream. In season,
game
is also available, especially partridge, hare, rabbit and boar.
As for
fish and seafood
, you'll be offered hake, tuna, squid or cuttlefish, while the local
anchovies are superb. Cod is often salted and turns up in
esquiexada
, a summer salad of
salt cod, tomatoes, onions and olives. Fish stews are a local speciality, though the main-
stays of seafood restaurants are the rice- and noodle-based dishes.
Paella
comes originally
from Valencia, but as that region was historically part of Catalunya, the dish has been en-
thusiastically adopted as Catalunya's own. More certainly Catalan is
fideuà
, thin noodles
served with seafood - you stir in the fiery
all i olli
(garlic mayonnaise) provided.
Arròs
negre
(black rice, cooked with squid ink) is another local delicacy.
Vegetables
rarelyamounttomorethanafewFrenchfriesorboiledpotatoes,thoughthere
aresomeauthenticCatalanvegetabledishes,likespinachtossedwithraisinsandpinenuts,
or
samfaina
, a ratatouille-like stew. Spring is the season for
calçots
, huge spring onions,
whichareroastedwholeandeatenwithaspicy
romesco
dippingsauce.Autumnseesthear-
rival of
wildmushrooms
, mixed with rice, omelettes, salads or scrambled eggs. In winter,
a dish of
stewed beans or lentils
is also a popular starter, almost always flavoured with
bits of sausage, meat and fat.
For
dessert
, apart from fresh fruit, there's always crème caramel (
flan
in Catalan) - fant-
astic when home-made - though
crema Catalana
is the local choice, more like a crème
brûlée, with a caramelized sugar coating. Or you might be offered
músic
, nuts and dried
fruit served with a glass of sweet
moscatel
wine.
in La Mercè, this third generation-owned restaurant offers simple and fresh Catalan and
Basque-Navarre fare at a good price (€5-€9). Dishes include tapas, soups, salads and tor-
tillas, as well as hearty mains such as garlic chicken and the house speciality (and sure-fire
hangover cure)
cocido Bidasoa
, a medley of sausage, tender beef and chickpeas in a savory
