Ferrán Adrià, Santi Santamaría, Carme Ruscalleda, Jordi Artalor or Carles Abellan are just the tip of the iceberg: so many big names in cooking are now associated with the Catalonia region of Spain, that Barcelona was the first non-French city to become widely known as a 'Ville Gourmande'.
Decoding a Catalan Menu
Restaurant and cafè menus are usually in the local Catalan language (in many ways more similar to Provençal French than Spanish), with a Castilian (Spanish) version. Outside touristy areas in Barcelona and elsewhere, an English translation is only occasionally provided, so here is a quick guide to help any serious foodie decode the basics of Catalan cuisine:
Catalan Appetizers, Snacks and Tapas
- Amanida = Catalan salad
- Cigalas al ajo = Garlic scampi
- Coquetes con samfaina = Vegetable pastries
- Gambas en salsa romesco = Prawns in a spicy sauce dip
- Pan amb tomaquet = Bread and tomato appetizers
- Patatas bravas = Potatoes in spicy sauce
- Xato = Terragona-style salad
Catalan Rice, Pasta Dishes and Soups
- Arros a la català = Catalan-style rice
- Arros amb crosta = Oven-browned rice
- Arros con habas = Rice with broad beans
- Arros negre amb all i oli = Black rice with garlic and oil sauce
- Canelones a la catalana = Catalan-style cannelloni
- Fideos a la catalana = Spicy spaghetti with cured meats
- Fideos con mariscos = Thin spaghetti with seafood
- Fideua = Paella with pasta and fish
- Potaje a la catalana = Chickpea soup
- Sopa de mejillones = Mussel soup
Catalan Meat and Fowl Recipes
- Asado de cerdo a la catalana = Oven-roasted fillet of pork
- Conejo al estilo terraconense = Rabbit and chocolate casserole
- Conejo con caracoles = Rabbit with snails
- Costillas al horno = Oven-roasted pork spare-ribs
- Escudella i carn d'olla = Mixed boiled meats with rice and broth soup
- Estofat de bou = Beef stew with chocolate
- Fricandò = Stewed meat and vegetables
- Mar i terra = Surf-and-turf: chicken with lobster and chocolate
- Paella parellada = Catalan-style paella
- Pavo a la catalana = Stuffed turkey
- Perdice con coles = Partridges in cabbage parcels
- Pollo con pimientos = Chicken with small green peppers
- Pollo en samfaina = Chicken with aubergines and sweet peppers
- Porc amb musclos = Pork with mussels
Catalan Fish, Shellfish and Seafood
- Anguila al alli i pebre = Stewed eels
- Bacalla amb samfaina = Cod with eggplant and vegetables
- Cap roig con salsa de ajo = Garlic scorpion fish
- Caracoles a la llauna = Snails au gratin
- Caracoles a la patarrallada = Grilled snails
- Dorada a la sal = Gilthead in salt
- Esqueixada de bacalao = Dried codfish salad
- Jibias con setas = Cuttlefish with mushrooms
- Langosta a la Costa Brava = Lobster in chocolate-flavored picada
- Mejillones rellenos = Stuffed mussels
- Orada a la sal = Sea bream in a salt crust
- Pataco = Fresh tuna with clams and vegetables
- Rape en salsa de almendras = Anglerfish in almond sauce
- Suquet de pescado con alioli = Mixed fish casserole with alioli sauce
- Zarzuela = Mixed seafood stew
Catalan Egg and Vegetables Recipes
- Berenjenas a la catalana =Aubergines with walnuts
- Coles a la catalana = Cabbage in spicy sauce
- Escalivada = Oven-baked vegetable mix
- Espinacs a la catalana / Espinacs amb passes i pinyons = Spinach with raisins and pine nuts
- Faves al tombet = Broad beans with lettuce
- Habas a la catalana = Broad beans with mixed cured meats
- Panadons amb espinacs = Spinach parcels
- Rovellons a la brasa = Grilled mushrooms
- Tortilla de patatas = Open omelette with potatoes
- Tortilla de tomates y pimientos = Tomato and sweet pepper open omelette
Catalan Cakes, Sweets and Desserts
- Crema catalana / Crema de San José = Oven-baked vanilla custard topped with caramelized sugar
- Ensaimadas = Sweet twists
- Granizado = Lemon water-ice
- Mel i mató = Honey and soft cheese
- Menjar blanc = Almond blancmange
Just like Barcelona is among the world's great capitals of cultural contamination, Catalan cooking is a distinctly Mediterranean blend of heterogeneous culinary traditions, woven together into one unique style.
Sources:
- Catalan Cooking. A Delicious Journey Through the Thousand Flavours of an Unforgettable Land | English Edition | published in 2005 by Casa Editrice Bonechi | ISBN 88-476-1254-3
- Barcelona 2008. Time Out Shortlist | published in 2007 by Time Out Guides Ltd | ISBN 978-184670-0224
- Tourist Guide to Restaurants, Gourmet Shops & Food Markets. Barcelona 2004 | Catalan and English text | published by Turisme de Barcelona | selection by the Catalan Academy of Gastronomy with the collaboration of the Barcelona Restaurant Guild
Maddalena Delli - Maddalena Delli is an Italian freelance journalist and professional travel writer who also enjoys blogging, web design and photography.
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