Comida Catalana

Spain is known for its take on the Mediterranean diet; especially dishes like paella, gazpacho, and tortilla de patatas. However, the country is not as united in its cuisine as it may seem. Spain suffered economically ajd politically through the early 20th century after of losing their colonies like Puerto Rico and Cuba long before their English and French counter parts. Therefore, development has Inter-national infrastructure lacked advancement compared to other countries, such as the United States. With this isolation comes the development of highly distinct regional cuisines in Spain. One would be sorely mistaken to say the Spanish have a national cuisine. In fact, every autonomous community takes great pride in differentiating its cuisine from the others. Barcelona, the heart of Cataluñya, exemplifies this principle of being a unique region within Spain with its coastal and mountainous take of Mediterranean products. The autonomous region of Cataluñya encompasses the highest corner of northeastern Spain giving the region bountiful access to ingredients from the sea and mountains. Therefore, in accordance with its geography, history, and economic background, Catalan cuisine is seasonal, simple, inexpensive, natural, and diverse.

The main and general ingredients of Catalan cuisine include fresh vegetables, wheat, arbequina olive oil (milder than Andalusian olive oil), wines, legumes, mushrooms, pork, poultry, lamb, beef, rabbit, cheese, and seafood. Spice/flavor principles of the Catalans include nuts (almond, chestnut, pinenut), saffron, tomato, red onion, olive oil, and garlic. Many of these ingredients are found in other regions but flavor principles are unique to the regions based on cuisine, or the techniques applied to those ingredients. For example, when it's time to sauce up, Catalans rely on aiolis, romesco, sofregit, escalivada, and samfaina. These sauces are combinations of important core ingredients and flavor principles like olive oil, garlic, onions, and tomatoes. The main savory dishes include: arros de banda, arros parellada, bacalla amb samfaina, calcots, canelons, cargola a la lluma, cocoa amb recapte, embotits, escalivada, escudella, espinicas a la catalana, esquiexada, fricando, mandongauilles amb sipia, mongets and botifarra, pa amb tomaquet, pollaste amb prunes, suqet de peix, trinxat, and xato. As far as tapas, Catalans enjoy Bombas, which are fried breaded balls of meat and mashed potatoes served with aioli and brava sauce. Bombas were invented in the Barceloneta barrio of Barcelona during the civil war and named after the terrible bombings carried out by Francisco Franco's allies Hilter and Mussolini. To top off your meal, in true Mediterranean fashion you'll have coffee or a carajillo (alcoholic coffee) alongside authentic desserts such as bunyols, carquinyols, coca, crema catalana, mel i mato, nueles, panellets, postres de music, and orelletes.

The last aspect of Spanish and Catalan cuisine worth mentioning is the role of bread, a staple to the original Mediterranean diet, historically comprising 60% of the caloric intake. What do you think of when you hear bread? You may be surprised your answer varies from another person in the room: every culture will think of a different image. When Americans think of bread, we think of sliced, rectangular, plastic-bagged, bread. But a Spaniard likely thinks of a small ovular loaf and a Frenchman, a baguette. This is simply a question of culture. For much of the past centuries, bread made up a majority of the Spanish diet with adjacent foods and other complementary ingredients changing its appearance and taste, such as pan con tomate (bread with garlic and tomato rubbed on top.) Although westernization has decreased the consumption of wheat and cereals, bread is still central to the Spanish and Catalan table. Here, bread is synonymous with a utensil. Instead of resting on its own plate, like in the US, bread sits next to your fork and knife or on your napkin. What seems on the surface a simple action establishes a completely different relationship between the people and bread. The Spanish generally know bread is integral whereas the US believes in its constant villainization. (NOTE: The quality of flour and bread is much healthier here in Europe so American arguments against the health properties of bread are not wholly false.)

In all, Cataluñya, like all other autonomous communities here in Spain, harbors a flavorful cuisine that relies on local products to define the seasons and staples to reinforce their identity. As the French proverb goes, "Tell me what you eat and I'll tell you who you are." So, the Catalans enjoy many well-recognized plates and ingredients which clearly state their identity for all to see, smell, and taste! In my experience, I have enjoyed Catalan cuisine for its diversity and ability to provide both the freshness of seafood, the comfort of meats, and the accessibility to beautiful native vegetables (I'm talking mushrrooooooms- my fav!). The only criticism my peers and I have to suggest to Spanish gastronomy would be an ounce of spice... anywhere?! I see myself bringing lots of gastronomical norms back home with me where I can such as shopping at farmer's markets to support local systems and reducing over-consumption by buying self-serve portions rather than bulk or pre-packaged foods when I can.