At first glance, the Gràcia district of Barcelona appears to be the gatekeeper of the resurgent Catalan identity: “Free Catalonia!” graffiti scrawled in the backstreets, Catalan flags flying from so many balconies, the distinct sound of the Catalan language heard in cafés and eateries. But as one explores the covered markets, bakeries and small bodegas of this colorful, lesser-explored area, the politics du jour recede and the deep culinary roots of this unique culture come into view.
Posted By : karenkH5576LE
Marvelous tour - all the high spots. The food was such a revelation - things we hadn't tasted before. Our guide was wonderful. We hit all the authentic restaurants and food vendors - would have like a little more time to purchase products, maybe a few less stops to give us the time to buy from them as it's unlikely we'd get back there.
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Posted On : 2024-07-01 07:39:03
Posted By : delsaid
We had a great guide. Senem is passionate and knows so much about the culture, food, history and people . She made a unforgettable experience for us. We would book right away another tour with her ❤️
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Posted On : 2024-06-29 05:23:46
Posted By : Nashri
It is a very good food tour
Great information
Variety of food
restaurants selected were very good, especially the first one
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Posted On : 2024-06-25 03:49:06
Posted By : 981brettk
Lynda, was a fantastic guide and a joy to be around. It was a small group of four. I would highly recommend taking your tour with Lynda
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Posted On : 2024-06-12 04:31:21
Posted By : janemK8452OA
Pam was very friendly and knowledgeable about Catalan history and the history of the Gràcia neighbourhood. We visited a variety of food outlets including the market, local shops, patisserie and restaurants. The food was great and offered a good variety of local dishes made from local produce. It was a great way to start my visit to Barcelona and very useful as my apartment was in Gràcia. Highly recommended.
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Posted On : 2024-06-10 07:40:19
Posted By : neham892
Senem was amazing. This tour is a must do to really learn about the spain’s history with food and try catalan foods as well.
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Posted On : 2024-05-31 11:04:51
Posted By : wildonva
We had such an amazing time with Pam!
Our first stop was at La Pubilla, which serves traditional Gracian food (think hearty peasant food). A “pubilla” is an heiress - a female who inherited her family’s estate. Women could not inherit in many medieval societies, so the term Pubilla is a badge of honor. We had two dishes - pork terrine with beans (yes, with trotter and snouts), and runny eggs with paprika-spiced sausage. We also had delicious coffee.
Our next stop was a market where we tasted several types of cheese and two types of sausage. Everything we tasted was hyper-local and very fresh. There are markets throughout the city with produce, meat, grains, etc. They are everyday shopping destinations for the locals. There are a few supermarkets, but not as many as you would think in a major city.
We stepped into a grain store that sold every type of grain and legume that you could imagine. There was even an entire wall of animal feed, although citizens no longer keep cows and chickens in the city. There is a certain type of white bean that you can only purchase in Spain that was in our breakfast dish - very creamy and rich.
We then stopped for an olive oil tasting with Marcona almonds and local olives. We tasted three oils that were all very different. We learned about the process of creating EVOO and which oils were better for cooking or for finishing a dish.
Our next stop was the Montserrat bakery where we tasted “lard of the heavens,” which are tiny orange jelly -like bites made of egg yolks and sugar. We also tasted a Marcona almond confection that reminded me of halva and almonds coated in a sugar paste and cocoa. All of the stores that we visited have been in the owners’ family for generations.
Before lunch, we stopped at a bar/cafe for Vermut. The vermut in Espana is infused with botanicals and tastes nothing like the cheap white vermouth we have in the US. It is an amber color and tastes almost like a birch beer (but less sweet). It is sipped as an aperitif and we enjoyed it with white sardines and olives.
After all of this food, it was time for lunch! We went to Cal Boter, which serves traditional food. We had meatballs in squid sauce (mar y Montana), pan con tomate, cod with an aioli topping that was torched like a meringue, and roasted vegetables. I also learned how to drink from a wine spigot! Our tour finished with a traditional dessert - churros with thick hot chocolate.
I highly recommend this amazing tour - what a great introduction to Barcelona and a delicious day!
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Posted On : 2024-05-29 17:36:44
Posted By : susanbX2617YK
Culinary backstreets excelled as before. Thank you Pam for your excellent knowledge of Catalan food, culture and history. An intriguing time walk with the pleasure of tasting as we explored , I thoroughly enjoyed myself
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Posted On : 2024-05-28 17:30:12
Posted By : Expedition797826
This tour was such a great chance to see and learn about Catalonia and getting to try a number of local dishes. Our guide was very friendly and very knowledgable about the area. Very enjoyable day, giving new meaning to eat, drink and be merry. .
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Posted On : 2024-05-14 14:18:47
Posted By : Explore534558
Delightful and delicious food tour. Excellent guide, Senem, who shared so much rich knowledge of the foods, customs, and history of Catalonia. loved it.
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Posted On : 2024-05-09 11:03:35