| Spain is a country famous for its food, so much | | | | seem empty without. Pan Tomaquet is bread, |
| so in fact, that Ferran Adria's "El Bulli" restaurant in | | | | often toasted slightly and then rubbed with |
| northern Spain, in Catalonia, has been voted the | | | | tomato and sprinkled with a little salt then drizzled |
| best restaurant in the world for the previous 3 | | | | with olive oil. Al i oli literally translates as garlic and |
| years. While Adria's kitchen is highly experimental | | | | oil, but is a kind of garlic mayonnaise and delicious |
| and at the cutting edge of modern food, the | | | | when combined with the pan tomaquet - many |
| Catalan chef also sources and uses many home | | | | people choose this as a starter! |
| grown ingredients. Olive oil, fresh fruit and | | | | Pork plays a big role in Spanish cuisine, and the |
| vegetables, fresh fish, pulses, cakes and of | | | | Catalans have their "butifarra" sausage which is a |
| course wine and cavas are the cornerstone of | | | | seasoned large sausage of fine meat, more often |
| the Catalan diet. Here's an introduction to some of | | | | than not served with "mongetas" - haricot beans |
| the best dishes. | | | | and al i oli. Barcelona's fantasic Boqueria market in |
| Almost every restaurant will have an "Ensalada | | | | the city's old town, on Las Ramblas, is a great |
| Catalana" on their menu, which is a green salad, | | | | place to pick up variations of the classic butifarra |
| topped with various "embutidos" or pork variants | | | | with combinations of garlic and parsley, Mallorcan |
| of cold sausages such as chorizos, lomos, fuet, | | | | "sobrasada" (a rich, smooth, pork spread |
| and is a fantastic introduction to the Catalan | | | | seasoned with local paprika), "bolets" which are |
| palate. Another favourite is grilled peppers and | | | | wild mushrooms from local Catalan provinces and |
| aubergines marinated in olive oil and served cold, | | | | even chocolate (I kid you not!). |
| known as "Escalivada". | | | | Moving back over to the Barcelona coast, it's |
| "Esqueixada" follows the Catalan love of salted | | | | impossible not to mention a few key dishes, such |
| cod, which is again marinated in Olive oil and | | | | as fideua. This is similar to Paella, including seafood |
| vinegar and accompanied by onion, red pepper | | | | and often fish, cooked in a fish broth but instead |
| and tomato. Another favourite is Bacalao "a la | | | | of rice, a short-cut pasta is used, which toasts on |
| llauna" which is the same salted cod, this time | | | | top in an oven and will have you licking your |
| baked in tomato, wine, parsley, garlic and paprika. | | | | fingers and cleaning the paella dish with your pan |
| One of the few vegetable dishes boasting to | | | | tomaquet. Another variation on Paella is "Arros |
| come from the Catalan kitchen is the equisite | | | | negre" or black rice, made using the squid |
| "Espinacs a la Catalana" - a dish of spinach | | | | cuttlefish ink. Two final recommendations are |
| reduced in cream and flavoured with pine nuts | | | | "Zarzuela" which is a mixed seafood stew, very |
| and raisins. | | | | rich and delicious any time of the year, and |
| Found on the table of almost every restaurant in | | | | "Suquet de Peix" which is a Fish, potato and |
| the city of Barcelona is "pan tomaquet" and "al i | | | | tomato soup - much lighter than the Zarzuala, but |
| oli". Both are such simple additions to a dinner, but | | | | equally as delicious! |