Gastro Tours: On The Culinary Trail...
Food glorious food! Not only one of life's great necessities but one of its greatest pleasures as well... especially when washed down with a vintage glass of wine, or three! For eons people have travelled, not just for pleasant climes and a patch of sand to sit on, but for the joys of tasting the native cuisine cooked by native hands. Gastro-tourism is by no means a new phenomenon, however today's travel industry has finally cottoned on to its importance and (if you'll excuse the pun) started 'catering' to our needs. Thanks to a growing interest in food, food production and cooking methods, tour companies today are willing to go to great efforts to provide you with the very best culinary experiences available - and in Barcelona, Catalonia and Spain those happen to be rather exquisite!
Above: Cooking calçots, a traditional Catalan onion...
Yes, if you're a gourmet guzzler or epicurean imbiber you'll find Barcelona and the surrounding region something akin to culinary nirvana. Both the Catalans and the Spaniards take their food very very seriously (they're not far behind the French and the Italians in this regard), and not only will you find some of the best restaurants in the world, but you'll encounter an amazing culture of food (think aperitifs, long lunches, tapas!), and of course discover some of the best natural ingredients... just a short stroll around La Boqueria market in central Barcelona will confirm that! Still wriggling hake, monkfish and seabreams, fresh shellfish and oysters, smoked slices of jamon serrano and spicy chorizo, rich and complex farm house cheeses, and a colourful panoply of organic fruits and vegetables are all for sale.
Just outside Barcelona the city and you'll find the picturesque Penedes region with its famous Cava vineyards... Cava being the Spanish/Catalan take on Champagne (basically exactly the same but much much cheaper, so save some room in your luggage!). There are also a number of great still white wines and red wines made in this and other regions of Catalonia.
How to make the most of all this delicious potential? With a culinary tour of Barcelona of course! Sign up with the experts and before you know it you'll be eating lip-smacking Catalan cuisine and Spanish specialties prepared by some of the best chefs in the whole of Catalonia and Spain, you'll be tasting fresh produce on organic farms and shopping for ingredients at local markets, you'll be taking part in cooking lessons and learning authentic recipes from the region, and enjoying tours of vineyards and bodegas - either with your friends, or with fellow food-lovers. Every gourmet pleasure will be yours to savour... and a fair few you'll be able to pack in your suitcase for the journey home!
Barcelona Culinary Tours
Check below for a list of both tour providers and individual activities. Click on the blue header links for more info about each and to read public opinion.
Cooking Classes Barcelona
Catalonia is famous for its celebrity chefs, like Ferran and Albert Adria, and the art of cooking will certainly open a lot of doors for you in this neck of the woods. Sign up for these cooking lessons with a Spanish master of the trade and you'll be taught how to make the classic paella dish, as well as get an insight into preparing tapas, and mixing the perfect sangria blend. A great evening, where you won't go hungry, and at 23 euros probably cheaper than eating the same dishes at a restaurant! Email to reserve a spot.
Wine Tasting Tour
During this indulgent day out participants will be taken to both a large-scale Cava winery (one of the very best in Catalonia), where they'll enjoy a tour of the cellars and a tipple or two, plus a smaller boutique vineyard where a family of vintners will introduce you to a wide range of their local wines. Just to make sure the grape doesn't go to your head, you'll also be treated to a delicious tapas-style lunch. The intimate, hands-on nature of this small group activity makes this particular trip one of the very best wine tasting experiences on offer from BCN! The all-inclusive cost is 150 euros per person and you can reserve/enquire via email.
Create Your Own Cava
During this fun twist on the usual wine tasting tour you'll not only get to sample several different varieties of Cava - aka Spanish champagne - but you'll even get to bottle it yourself! The experience takes place in a 1,000 year old farmhouse complex in the Penedes region and includes vineyard and cellar tour, and is great value at just 30 euros per head. Email us and we'll do the rest.
Tapas & Flamenco
Two amazing traditions in one experience during this quintessential Spanish evening. First a foot-stomping flamenco show in the Gothic Quarter, and then the chance to sample several different tapas. A good choice for sociable people (a large group go every night) on a budget (only 27 euros per person). Email to book a slot.
Cheese Tasting
Both the Spanish and Catalans have fine traditions of cheese making and in recent years there's even been a revival in the production of locally produced artisan and farmhouse cheeses! Get to know your Manchego from your Mato de Montserrat during this gourmet sampling session, that naturally includes perfectly paired wines and snacks. Email for more info and a price quote.
Lifestyle Barcelona
Barcelona's specialists of stylish experiences are also gurus of the gastronomic realms, and under the 'Food & Drink Activities' of their website you'll find a range of tempting tours to get the mouth watering. Cheese-tasting in the Gothic Quarter, tapas tours, and blind wine-tasting in a Catalan castle are just a few. If you prefer a more hands on experience then sign up for cocktail classes, wine-making lessons, or paella cooking school!
www.lifestylebarcelona.com
Barcelona Food & Wine Tours
These travel experts in Catalan cuisine will fix you up with your dream excursion around the city of Gaudi and the surrounding land, taking in every taste sensation as you go! From one day trips to all-inclusive food tasting holiday packages, drop them an email and let them get to work!
More gastro-tourism providers and specialist food and wine tasting tours, cookery lessons etc. coming v. soon! In the meantime check out a wide range of experiences on our Barcelona tours page, including a choice of walking tours.