Discovering the culinary specialties of Catalonia
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Catalan cuisine reflects the region’s geographical position, located between land and sea. To step away from the traditional paella, Canopéa invites you to discover other Catalan specialties, a way to whet your appetite before your next trip to Spain.
Catalan cuisine, multiple origins
Catalonia's location along the Mediterranean explains the great diversity of its cuisine, in which French, Italian, and Greek influences can be found. Catalans cook vegetables, fish, and meat with olive oil, enjoy mixing sweet and savory flavors, and sometimes garnish their dishes with honey, cinnamon, pine nuts, almonds, and other dried fruits. Charcuterie holds a place of honor on their plates. The flavors of Catalan cuisine have plenty to surprise you with, but if gustatory adventures don't entice you that much, you can always enjoy a classic paella or, for a change, fideuà, the Catalan paella made with vermicelli noodles.
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Calçots (Calçotadas)
Calçots are a variety of green onions, long and tender, resembling leeks. As a winter vegetable, they are enjoyed from November to March. Catalans appreciate them grilled over charcoal and accompanied by a romesco sauce, made from tomatoes, garlic, almonds, and hazelnuts. Every year, between January and March, Catalan villages organize the calçotada festival, a traditional gathering centered around calçots, a tradition that originated in Valls in the 19th century. Every year, on the last weekend of January, the Valls calçotada attracts many visitors. Valls calçots are renowned and protected by the European PGI (Protected Geographical Indication) label, which attests to the origin of the product. During the Valls calçotada, they are eaten standing up with your fingers, and while wearing a bib! We haven't found a better way to avoid making a mess yet!
Rabbit with snails (conill amb cargols)
The French aren't the only ones who eat snails! Proof of this is that in Catalonia, they are eaten with rabbit and baked in the oven with a spicy sauce. This particularly refined dish is enjoyed during patron saint festivals. In this recipe, the snails are not boiled but cooked, which helps to better reveal their flavor. Rabbit with snails is subject to variations, such as mar i muntanya (sea and mountain), in which shrimp, langoustines, or lobster are added.
Tomato bread (pa amb tomàquet)
Extremely simple but always pleasant to eat in summer, pa amb tomàquet is prepared from a large slice of bread rubbed with garlic, topped with tomato and a drizzle of olive oil. This delicious recipe lends itself to multiple variations, such as pa amb tomàquet i anxoves, made with tomatoes and anchovies, and also to many personal interpretations!
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Fish stew (suquet de peix)
Typical of Barcelona cuisine, suquet de peix resembles Marseille’s bouillabaisse. It is prepared with different types of fish, to which shrimp and clams can be added. It is served with potatoes and a saffron sauce, from which it gets its appetizing orange color!
Salt-crusted sea bream (daurada a la sal)
If you like fish, you will surely appreciate sea bream baked in a salt crust. This cooking method preserves all the aromas and juices of this delicate fish. This process can be used to cook other types of fish, such as sea bass, for example.
Rice with squid ink (arròs negre)
Arròs negre, or "black rice" in Catalan, is rice prepared with squid ink, which gives it that beautiful black color so characteristic of the dish. It invites the gourmet to a visual pleasure as much as a gustatory one! Rice with squid ink is most often served with crustaceans, mussels, crabs, and shrimp.
Baked salt cod (bacallà a la llauna)
This truly original dish is typical of Barcelona cuisine. You start by frying pieces of salt cod in a pan. They are then placed on a baking tray, covered with a sauce made of garlic, red peppers, chili, tomato, bay leaf, and white wine, and baked in the oven. A delight!
Catalan-style spinach (espinacs a la catalana)
A clever recipe to make children like spinach. Known since the Middle Ages, this way of cooking a vegetable that doesn't always receive universal acclaim, especially among the youngest, will certainly catch your attention. The spinach is simply boiled, then seasoned with garlic and ham. Nothing stops you from adding your own personal seasonings to further enhance the taste!
