Guidebook to Catalan Food

By Amanda Libero, University of Delaware

When you arrive in Barcelona, you will shortly realize one of the best things the city has to offer is its food. Barcelona is a city in the region of Catalonia, and the region including Barcelona has several must try dishes and foods.

Pan Con Tomate

This food is quite possibly one of the most typical foods of Catalunya and Barcelona. You’ll see this everywhere. It is as simple as it sounds, bread with tomato. In Catalan it is called pa amb con tomaquet, and it is bread, usually toasted, with rubbed garlic and tomato and drizzled over with olive oil and sprinkled with salt. At first look, it may look like bread with bright blood, but as soon as you taste it you will become addicted and eat it with every meal possible. Even better yet, it so simple, it can be easily made at home.

Tortilla Española

This classic food is also very typical in Barcelona. It consists of lots of eggs with potatoes and sometimes other vegetables like zucchini, similar to an omelette. There can be a lot of eggs in it (my host mom uses 9!), so you generally cut yourself a wedge and chow down!

Arros Negre

Just like pan con tomate, this is as simple as it sounds. Black rice. It is usually made in a large round pan like paella and it made black by squid ink. And that’s pretty much it, simple yet savory.

Cannelloni

This dish is can also be considered Italian since it is basically tubed pasta stuffed with meat that’s different than Italian meat or sometimes spinach and doused in bechamel sauce, which is a creamy milk and butter sauce, topped with cheese. Definitely not for the calorie conscious, but that just makes it all the better right?

Fuet

This is kinda like the Catalan version of salami. It’s dried cured pork meat that served as a tapa or app with other dried meats or cheese. Simple and one of the munchies where you just can’t stop eating it.

Patatas Bravas

I like to call these the Spanish version of French fries. Patatas bravas are potatoes cut into cubes usually, fried, and covered with a bravas sauce which is usually a little spicy. It’s an extremely common tapa and highly addictive.

FOR THE MORE ADVENTUROUS

Well I’m a major foodie, and so are my parents, so when they can to visit me for a week, we naturally went to the most authentic Catalan restaurant we could find. Needless to say, the food was different than anything I’ve had in Barcelona so far. These dishes are very traditional and frankly a little strange but honestly so delicious. So if you’re up for weird textures and interesting flavors, this is for you.

Meatballs and Cuttlefish

I’m sure there is a traditional Catalan name for this dish, but I know it simply as meatballs and cuttlefish, cooked and eaten together with this thick sauce. Yes fish and meat, and it was unbelievable.

Capipota

Now this was interesting, very interesting. As soon as I explain what it is, you probably will never try it, but you should, it’s actually delicious. Capipota basically translates to head and foot and it is the meat if from the head and feet of a pig close to the bone so it is quite tender. My family is weird, so of course as the waiter explained what it was, we ordered it right away.

MY FAVORITE PART – DESSERT!

Spain loves its dessert and so do I, so I’m salivating just writing this.

Crema Catalana

This is a typical dessert that is very similar to a Creme Brûlée. It is also a custard with a hard sugar top that crunches as you put you spoon into it. I like crema catalana better because I think it’s slightly less sweet and sense so you can enjoy more!

There are several other dishes and foods that I haven’t even tried yet, but happy eating!