|
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 (Ferran Adria's El Bulli on the Costa Brava has been voted number one for four years running - and that's just the tip of a renaissance in Catalan cuisine!) 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
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!
A fuller list of gastro-tourism providers, with specialist food and wine tasting tours, cookery lessons coming v. soon!
| | | |