Panellets - Catalonia Cookies

According to Wikipedia, "Panellets are the traditional dessert of the All Saints holiday in Catalonia, together with chestnuts, sweet potatoes and sweet wine. Panellets (Catalan for little breads) are small cakes or cookies in different shapes, mostly round, made mainly of marzipan."

Funny, until recenlty I though pannellets was Catalan for fuckin amazing- because they are. They remind me of all the different types of cookies that people make during Christmas.

Street vendos also fill the streets this time of the year selling roasted chestnuts and grilled sweet potatoes. I've enjoyed sweet potatoe back home, but they've never tasted as good as they do here. Knowning that they'll be gone soon, I buy them almost every night and eat them with no butter or sugar. Click on the photo for a larger version. Yum!

Barcelona Food

The Catalans obsession with food is extremely evident. For the size and population of the city, it has an amazingly low number of “fast food” restaurants. The idea of food as an experience is embraced by the locals. You can find everything from traditional Catalan dishes to the "food forward" cuisine from internationally renowned chefs.

Eating and drinking at outside cafes is very popular year round. It’s not unusual for people to stay at their table for HOURS after they’re done eating. This can get very frustrating as it causes many of the restaurants & cafes to be constantly full.

Grocery Store

Going to the grocery store is an experience in itself. I like to buy one or two new things each time I go. Sometimes I hit a home run and buy it again and sometime I strike out. As I’ve discussed in earlier posts, the food at many grocery stores is extremely inexpensive, yet very good. Frankly, I get very overwhelmed by the number of seafood choices and I don’t have any idea how I would begin to cook some of the seafood that is available.

Breakfast

I start most mornings with a cafe con leche which is 50% coffee and 50% milk (skim). If I’m out early and need a boost I typically order a cafe cortado which is mostly espresso with a touch of milk.

Tortilla de patatas (eggs, potatoes & onion) has become an obsession of mine. They’re found pretty much everywhere and I eat this dish a lot (with ketchup)!

I also found an amazing cereal that includes an unbelievable amount of dried fruit. I eat this if I’m not in the mood for tortilla de patatas. I’ve gone thought a lot of boxes already. See the photo below. Amazing!

Lunch (between 2pm - 5pm) & Dinner (10pm-12pm)

I was a bit concerned prior to arriving that I would not adjust to the Spanish eating schedule. I was happy to learn that it’s very easy to find snacks throughout the day. Tapas anyone?

Most restaurants feature a menu del dia, which is a set-price meal usually consisting of three courses, with a drink thrown in. This is often your best deal, costing between 6-10 Euro.

Pork is the most popular meat in Barcelona. Jamón serrano which is a leg of ham cured and then hung out to dry a common sight in stores and restaurants. The Spanish also love bacon, longanissa, and chorizo. Steak can easily be found, but it tends to be expensive. Chicken is priced similar to the U.S.

Drinkables

Beer - The largest brewery in Spain is Estrella Damm. They’re extremely good and very inexpensive. I’m drinking one as I write this.

Cava – A sparkling wine that is very similar to Champagne. Many think it’s better than Champagne. I still need to try it.

Wine – Very good and ridiculously inexpensive. Nuff said.

Fresh Juices – It’s very easy to find freshly squeezed 100% juices (Orange, Strawberry, Mango, Kiwi, Coconut, etc). They’re a flavor explosion and cost only 1 Euro. I’ve enjoyed the Kiwi and coconut/mango blend. Words can not descrive the flavor. I’ve seen them being made and the amount of fruit needed to make just one serving is crazy.

Barcelona defiantly has my taste buds hooked. Click here for all the food related photos.