Barcelona is blessed with a benign Mediterranean climate. Early summer and fall are ideal times to visit, especially May to June and September to October. Even in the winter, days are crisp to cold (due to its proximity to the mountains) but often sunny.
Everyone knows that Spain is a dream destination for foodies, but not everyone realises just how varied the cuisine is from region to region.
The good news is that if you’re planning a trip to Barcelona – the capital city of the Catalan community – there are all sorts of local must-eat foods to delve into, many of which date back to hundreds if not thousands of years.
The good news is that if you’re planning a trip to Barcelona – the capital city of the Catalan community – there are all sorts of local must-eat foods to delve into, many of which date back to hundreds if not thousands of years.
Jabugo Ham
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Paella de Fideua
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Bocadillos
Spanish sandwiches are bocadillos and they are made on long baguettes that are simultaneously crusty and soft. Our favorite spot for bocadillos was Bo de B, where you chose a meat and then the sandwich was topped with a combination of four sauces and toppings including olives, lentils, lettuce, cucumber, tomato, and corn.
Bombas
A bomba is similar to croquettas, and is made of meat and mashed potatoes that are formed in to ball, covered in breadcrumbs and fried. They can be small two bite snacks or larger tennis ball sized bombas that are meant for sharing. It is served with a pair of alioli, one on the bottom and another on the top.
Blistered Peppers ~ Pimientos Rellenos
In Barcelona they tend to use Padron Peppers which are very similar to shishito peppers. They are grilled until they are soft, blistered and served with a bit of sea salt on top and perhaps with alioli.
Spanish Omelet
Don’t mistake this omelet for a breakfast food, it is eaten all day long. A Spanish Omelet can be small and individually sized or big and served in slices. It is filled with onion and chunks of potato and often is served with an alioli.
Manchego Cheese
Have I mentioned my love of cheese before? The other day Charles and I were listing our favorite cheeses (married life is exciting guys!) and Charles said that manchego is his second favorite cheese. Manchego is a hard aged sheep’s milk cheese that is salty, earthy, and nutty. It is made in the La Mancha region of Spain, and can be found throughout the country. It’s great on a charcuterie board with some Iberico Ham.
Pa amb Tomàquet
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It’s true what they say: “The simple things are always the best.” And it’s especially true in this case. Translated literally as “bread with tomato,” this is an essential dish that can be enjoyed as an accompaniment with every meal from breakfast to lunch and dinner.
It’s basically bread-rubbed with garlic and the juice of a tomato and seasoned with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Some places even serve the ingredients separately so you can make it yourself. Su elaboración parece sencilla pero no os dejéis engañar, no basta con restregar el tomate con saña sobre la miga del pan. Primero, hay que elegir que este reúna las propiedades adecuadas:blandito y de ramillete, a ser posible. Al contrario de lo que se suele hacer, el aceite es lo primero que se añade. No todos los bares tienen en cuenta el proceso así que, para evitar disgustos, aqui te dejo un breve listado de locales que ofrecen el mejor pan con tomate de Barcelona. |
Croquettas
Spanish Croquettas are long and oval in shape and filled with cheese and meat. Usually the meat inside is chicken or iberico ham.
Calamari and Squid
Fresh seafood is a specialty in Barcelona, and my husband especially loves the calamari and squid which are served grilled or fried.
Iberico Ham
This is Spanish answer to Italy’s prosciutto. Iberico Ham is usually sliced a bit thicker than prosciutto, so it is a meatier and less delicate. You can get it on its own, and it is an ingredient in any traditional Spanish dishes.
Patatas Bravas
These crispy fried potato wedges with spicy sauce and creamy alioli are my favorite Spanish food. The best bravas that I found were at Bo de B where like the bocadillos, the patatas bravas were topped with four magical sauces.
Paella
Paella is probably the most well known Spanish cuisine. It is from the Valencia region of Spain and the internet seems to be hotly debating the origin of the meal. The paella is served at many restaurants in Barcelona and there are many different preparations. Is a dish prepared in a large shallow pan that consists of rice, vegetables, paprika, saffron. Many paellas have a mix of seafood, others have meat, and some are vegetarian.
Gazpacho
It got hot on Barcelona even in October and sipping this chilled tomato soup was a great way to cool down. Sometimes the soup had toppings on the side like croutons, red pepper, avocado, and onion, but often it is just served on its own or with a side of Pa amb tomàquet.
Chorizo
That is commonly eaten throughout Spain. It can be served as a sausage, sliced like salami, or as an ingredient in a meal.
