We didn't exactly time our visit to La Boqueria perfectly. Let me explain: it was nearly lunchtime. It had been a while since breakfast, we were both starting to feel peckish and then we hit upon Barcelona's premier food market.
As a fully-paid up omnivore, I find any kind of food market interesting (at worst) or tantalising (at best). La Boqueria is all of these things although, if you're vegetarian, you may care to skip some of the sections!
The seafood is, of course, fabulous. We were there in March and the selection of seafood and fish was overwhelming. According to local Barcelonins, it is even better over Christmas and New Year. But still, it was impressive:
They named the market after a Saint? That's taking food seriously...
As a fully-paid up omnivore, I find any kind of food market interesting (at worst) or tantalising (at best). La Boqueria is all of these things although, if you're vegetarian, you may care to skip some of the sections!
The seafood is, of course, fabulous. We were there in March and the selection of seafood and fish was overwhelming. According to local Barcelonins, it is even better over Christmas and New Year. But still, it was impressive:
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| I'll have the cooked prawns. No wait, the raw ones! No, oysters! No, mussels, razor clams...Oh, you choose for me! |
Can we take lobsters as hand luggage? What, not live ones?
Salted Cod (Bacalao/Bacalaos) is a classic Spanish & Portuguese fish
Now for cold meats: those plates of ham and sausage that appear in every tapas bar in Barcelona come from somewhere, and it's a fair bet that many of them come from here. As somebody once asked me: "Care for some more pig?"
Ham, Ham and Ham
Hot or cold. Grilled or fried. Spicy or garlic-flavoured...
Whatever flavouring you need for your meat, it's a fair bet you can get it here
And don't forget the 5-a-day
La Boqueria delights in the sweet end of things too. We restrained ourselves from these, instead delving into a few fruit 'n' nut mixes. But, oh boy, check this out:
Diet, what diet?
La Boqueria also does a great line in bars and restaurants. It's not a place for a full meal, rather for a tapas selection of whatever-takes-your-fancy or whatever the chef is doing today. The chalk blackboard menus are testimony to the changing selection. Get there early, or your favourite may have gone!
A few words of warning: keep an eye on your belongings (pickpockets are common) and ask the price of food and drink before ordering, or you could be in for a nasty shock when the bill arrives! But take your time to look around, don't be afraid to ask questions and savour every mouthful!
So we'll start with Jamon and Gambas. Oh, and Patatas Bravas. Then maybe an Helado for dessert?
Buon Appetito!
This blogpost is part of the Blogsherpa Blog Carnival #23. This Blog Carnival is hosted by Kiran Keswani of Indian Bazaars. Thanks for hosting Kiran!
2 comments:
Barcelona's premier food market sounds a great place to visit.
There are also a few other great places for vegetarians (like myself)and while La Boqueria is a wonderful place to visit, you should consider somewhere like Organic Market - http://www.spain-in-a-campervan.com/food/organic-market-vegetarian-takeaway-%e2%80%93-barcelona-336.html
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