Discovering the culinary specialties of Catalonia
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The cuisine of Catalonia reflects the geographical position of the region, located between land and sea. To get away from the traditional paella, Canopéa invites you to discover other Catalan specialties, a way to whet your appetite before your next stay in Spain.
Catalan cuisine, multiple origins
Catalonia's location on the Mediterranean coast explains the great diversity of its cuisine, in which we can find French, Italian and Greek influences. Catalans cook vegetables, fish and meat in olive oil, like to mix sweet and salty flavours, and sometimes garnish their dishes with honey, cinnamon, pine nuts, almonds and other dried fruits. Charcuterie occupies a special place on their plate. The flavours of Catalan cuisine are enough to surprise you, but if taste adventures don't appeal to you that much, you can always try the classic paella or, for a change, the fideuà, the Catalan paella made with vermicelli.
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Calçots (Calçotadas)
Calçots are a variety of spring onions, long and tender, resembling leeks. Winter vegetables, they are enjoyed from November to March. Catalans like them cooked on the embers and accompanied by a romesco sauce, made with tomatoes, garlic, almonds and hazelnuts. Every year, between January and March, Catalan villages organize the calçotada festival, a traditional meeting around calçots, a tradition that originated in Valls, in the 19th century. Every year, on the last weekend of January, the caloçotada of Valls attracts many visitors. The calçots of Valls are renowned and protected by the European PGI (Protected Geographical Indication) label, attesting to the origin of the product. During the calçotada of Valls, they are eaten standing up and with the fingers, and equipped with a bib! We have not yet found a better way to avoid getting dirty!
The rabbit with snails (conill amb cargols)
The French are not the only ones who eat snails! As proof, in Catalonia, they are eaten with rabbit, and they are baked in the oven with a spicy sauce. This particularly refined dish is enjoyed during the patron saint festivals. In this recipe, the snails are not boiled, but cooked, which allows their flavor to be better revealed. Rabbit with snails is subject to variations, such as mar y montaña (sea and mountain), in which shrimp, langoustines or lobster are added.
Tomato toast (pa amb tomàquet)
Very simple but always so enjoyable to eat in summer, pa amb tomàquet is prepared from a large slice of bread rubbed with garlic, on which tomato and a drizzle of olive oil are placed. This delicious recipe lends itself to multiple variations, such as pa amb tomàquet i anxoves, made with tomatoes and anchovies, and also to multiple personal interpretations!
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Fish stew (suquet de peix)
Typical of Barcelona cuisine, the suquet de peix is similar to the bouillabaisse of Marseille. It is prepared with different fish, to which you can add prawns and clams. It is served with potatoes and a saffron sauce, from which it gets its appetizing orange color!
Sea bream in a salt crust (daurada a la sal)
If you like fish, you will surely enjoy sea bream baked in a salt crust. This cooking method preserves all the aromas and juices of this very fine fish. This process can be used to cook other fish, such as sea bass, for example.
Rice with squid ink (arròs negre)
Arros negre, or black rice in Catalan, is a rice prepared with squid ink, which gives it that beautiful black color, so characteristic. It invites the gourmet to a visual pleasure as well as a taste! Squid ink rice most often accompanies shellfish, mussels, crabs and shrimps.
Cod cooked on a plate (bacallà a la llauna)
This truly original dish is typical of Barcelona cuisine. The cod pieces are first fried in a pan. They are then placed on a baking sheet, covered with a sauce made with garlic, red peppers, chilli, 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 love spinach. Known since the Middle Ages, this way of cooking a vegetable that is not always unanimous, especially among the youngest, will certainly catch your attention. The spinach is simply cooked in water, then garnished with garlic and ham. Nothing prevents you from adding a few personal seasonings to improve the taste even more!
