Comida En Espana

While the places we go may be varied, one thing always remains constant while my friends and I travel: eating. Lots of it. We go to markets, cafes, and restaurants in search of cheap eats that are true to the local cuisine traditions. Our visit to Barcelona was no exception to this habit; the food crawl continued. Having visited Spain before, I had tried a lot of Spanish food and didn't really care for it, but I really think my taste buds have evolved a lot over the past three years and I am definitely more willing to try and enjoy new foods now than I was then. I find that many people assume that the Spanish regularly dine on tacos, fajitas, and burritos. That's not true; I actually did not see one single Mexican restaurant while visiting Barcelona.
On our night out in Barcelona, the girls and I went to the Travel Bar Restaurant for tapas and sangria. Tapas are appetizers or snack-like foods that are usually ordered in bulk and split between parties to make a full meal. 

Calamares

Tortilla de Patatas - An omlette type of picky filled with potatoes and served cold

Assorted cheeses, olives, meats, etc.

Bread, tomatoes, olive oil, and paprika to serve the above cheeses, meats, etc. on

Patatas Bravas - Fried potatoes served with salsa bravas, a spicy tomato-like sauce

Paella

We ate our way through the tapas and the reviews were mixed. I liked everything except for the tortilla de patatas. Something about cold egg really skeeves me out and I just wasn't into it. Overall, I liked traditional tapas this time more than I did during my last visit to Spain, but they still aren't my favorite. 


In between sightseeing the next day, the girls and I took several breaks to try out different Spanish delights, such as churros and helado. Churros are similar to fried dough, fried in ring shapes and served with melted chocolate for dipping. I had loved them on my first visit to Spain and was looking forward to having them again. However, I was a bit disappointed as the chocolate for dipping that came with the churros was like a watered down cup of hot chocolate, unlike the thick, rich chocolate that I had tried them with before. Still craving something sweet after a churro let down, we sought out helado - the Spanish word for ice cream. Similar to Italian gelato, the treat is sweet and creamy, available in a variety of flavors. I got Dulce de Leche and it was absolutely to die for!

After some more sightseeing (yes, we do other things besides eat!), we stumbled upon this little gem:

The Mercat St. Josep La Boqueria, located right off of Las Ramblas, the most popular pedestrian area in Barcelona. Walking into the market was like finding a goldmine. If I lived in Barcelona, I would shop there everyday for fresh ingredients. There were rows upon rows of stalls selling produce, meats, dairy, sweets, breads, and various other products.

Still full from eating earlier in the day, we only tried some fruit, but the quality and freshness of it was amazing. Judging by the amount of people crowding the marketplace, I think it's safe to assume that the majority of them put that freshness into their cooking, giving Spanish food that certain something that you just don't find everywhere else. The food crawl in Barcelona was filled with new tastes, revisits to memorable dishes, and admittance that maybe I just don't really like Spanish food. But hey, at least I tried it right?

Love and comida,

Haley