SWEET AND SALTY BARCELONA

Interested in excellent and interesting food, beautiful pastries and fantastic chocolate? Would you like to explore a culinary capital where the borders between salty and the sweet are vanished? Barcelona is the place for you.





Food history
Catalonia has a long history of world class cuisine and a reputation for producing some of Spain’s finest Chefs. Influenced by neighboring European cultures and culinary styles since the 17th century, Barcelona has fostered the reinvention of familiar forms and flavors in all aspects of Spanish food.



Spain’s history as a country whose explorers discovered chocolate in the new world shows in the food culture. Chocolate is compared to many other countries a food ingredient, not just a confection. The use of chocolate, spices and nuts combined into savory dishes is deeply rooted in the cuisine since the Middle Ages.

This fundamental difference in the perception of chocolate and other conventionally savory ingredients effects not only the taste of Spanish chocolates, confections, and desserts but also the design of their creations.

The Mecca of Avant Garde Cuisine
Barcelona, the home of Antoni Gaudi and Joan Miro, has been a center of Modernist architecture and art. These influences effects the cuisine and can be seen not only in desserts and confection design, but also in the spirit of provocation found in many of the chefs and artisans. One example of a provocative chef with a culinary philosophy of his own is Ferran Adrià , chef of the three starred Michelin restaurant El Bulli. With Ferran Adrià, Spain has become an important influence of Avant Garde Cuisine, inspiring culinary experiments in both food and pastries through his “breaking of rules established haute cuisine”.

The first dessert-only restaurant in the world
Perhaps influenced by Adrià, Barcelona offers “The first fine dining plated dessert-only restaurant” in the world named Espai Sucre, created by Jordi Butron. Barcelona also boasts a Confectionary Guild, a Pastry and Confectioner School, a Museum of Chocolate, a plethora of patissiers and chocolatiers, a school for pastry and confectionery making called Aula Chocovic, headed up by Ramon Morato, “Best Artisan Master Confectioner of Spain” 1997, who also is the co-creator of Cacao Sampaka (chocolate confections) with Albert Adrià (Ferrans brother), part owner and pastry chef of the famed El Bulli restaurant northeast of Barcelona, in Girona, Spain

Three culinary areas in Barcelona focused on chocolate, pastries, appetizers and surrounding foodstores:

AREA NUMBER ONE - CATALUNYA AND RAMBLAS:
I know that the area around the street Ramblas is good to avoid, but also to visit.

Cacao Sampaka
Start with for example breakfast and some chocolate at Cacao Sampaka, C/ Consell de Cent, 292. This excellent chocolate store must be seen. The “Best Artisan Master Confectioner” of Spain 1997 is the co-creator of Cacao Sampaka chocolate confections together with Albert Adria, part owner and Pastry Chef of the famed El Bulli restaurant northeast of Barcelona, in Girona Spain (after 2012 the restaurant will become a "think tank", a Gastronomic Academi for gastronomic creativity).

Cacao Sampaka presents collections of chocolate. The tastingmenu with four pieces contained Papua chocolate from collection number 1 "Single beans origins", balsamic vineger from "Innovations", jasmintee from "Flowers and herbs", and Coffee & aniseed from "Dried fruits and nuts". The last one became my favourite. There is also innovative marmelades with for example chocolate and tomato marmelade.











Choco fans
If you want more chocolate there is Choco fans nextdoors too, C/ Consell de Cent, 308. Nice truffles and Catalonian white cholocate...





La Cuina D:en Garriga
Close to Sampaka is a really nice food- and kitchen design store called La Cuina D:en Garriga, C/ Consell de Cent, 308. Buy their fresh eggs, milk and dried jamòn/ham.








Colmado Quilez
Visit a historical foodstore from 1906, with their own private label Colmado Quilez, Ramela Catalunya 63. I recommend their high quality salt with flowers, herbs and different kinds of anchovies.




La Boqueria
The foodmarket Mercat de La Boqueria, Ramblas 91. Just sit down at one of the tapas places, eat fresh seafood, drink a beer and watch the butchers hard work and people shopping in action. It´s fantastic!














El Corte Ingles
‎El Corte Ingles, Avinguda Portal de l'àngel 19-21, most interesting floor is the Supermarket. You have to see the jamòns and sausages hanging allover in the deli-department and the lobsters and crabs still alive in aquariums. A reflection that’s quite different if you compare with Sweden, the deli-staff in the printed matter with offers are photographed like supermodels. I like that if it’s actually for real and not models acting deli-staff!

Gourmand Tours
In this area there are also Gourmand Tours organised by Barcelona Tourisme. You will then visit 12 places in two hours and Merquat de La Bouqeria is one of them. Meeting Point Placa de Catalunya. Book your tickets before you go.


AREA NUMBER TWO – BARRI GOTIC AND BORN/JAUME:
When you are done with Ramblas you are naturally walking towards area number two.

La Vinya del Senyor and Senyor Parellada
Start heading towards Plaza Santa María, 5 and begin with enjoying a glass of catalonian wine together with jamòn/ham and cheese from the region at La Vinya del Senyor. Look for the table one floor upstairs. From the single window you have the perfect view of the church and the people enjoying good life at the plaza. Part owner of La Vinya del Senyor, Senyor Parellada (an emblematic Catalan bistro) also runs a restaurant further down the street, 37 Carrer de l'Argenteria.








Bubo
Almost next door to La Vinya del Senyor you will find Carles Mampel’s Bubo desserts, caputxes 10. The pastries/desserts, macarons, candy and the chocolate in beautifully designed cans and boxes are (there is also Bubo tapas and catering) worth a visit.













Happy Pills
On the other side of the street is Happy Pills, small candy in a different kind of packaging. There is always a reason to eat candy seems to be the idea...mostly a fun idea I must say.




Productes Sabor / Casa Gispert
At Sombrerers, 23. A traditional store still toasting their own nuts, coffee and cocoa.






Vila Viniteca
A historical vinestore since 1930. On this street there is a Viniteca food and vinestore face to face. Vila Viniteca, Agullers 7.




Demasiécafé – Have a sweet day
On my way I found another chocolate store called Demasiécafé, Princesa 28. Beautiful packaging, nice "chocolate buttons" and a tasteful, modern interior design. Their webpage is also worth a visit.







Museu de la Xocolata
If you are standing with your nose looking at the chocolate store and then follow this street you will soon have Museu de la Xocolata (The Chocolate Museum), Carrer del Comerç 36 on your left side. If you continue straight ahead you will soon see the only dessert restaurant in the world, Espai Sucre (read more further down).





Espai Sucre - The only dessert restaurant in the world
I would recommend you to spend the money on the different dessert menues at Jordi Butrón and, Xano Saguer, Guillem Vicente and Reme Butróns dessert restaurant Espai Sucre, Princesa 53, instead of the Chocolate Museum. The team are developers of a new way of restaurant-style pastry cooking through the restaurant and a restaurant-style dessert school. Unfortunately you have to wait till they open in the evening. Two shifts 20.30 and 23.00.

“This team conceives pastry as a permanent training either technically or gustatorily, always according to an innovative attitude, but at the same time to respect towards tradition understood as an indispensable ingredient of progress. Together with the professional team they train and make possible this project, ESPAISUCRE develops a service of demonstrations and consultancy in Spain as well as abroad. A previous exhaustive analysis of each client’s circumstances provides ESPAISUCRE the necessary information to guarantee an exclusive and personalized work.”



Papa Bubble – Caramels Artesans
Looking for handmade personalized candy? Papa Bubble is the place for you, Ample 28.


AREA NUMBER THREE – PL. DE SANT GREGORY TAUMATURG:
This is an exclusive are filled with fantastic food stores like Tutusaus and Oriol Balaguers pastry shop. Along Av. Diagonal you will also find exclusive interiorshops and another El Corte Ingles, Av. Diagonal, 471-473.

Oriol Balaguer
If you are looking for a higher level, that little extra, you have to visit the best Pastry Chef in Spain 2008, Oriol Balaguer, Pl. de Sant Gregory Taumaturg. Finally something new is happening – that extraordinary dimension you hope for visiting the capital of chocolate. Oriols chocolate not only sparkles and sounds in the mouth it also teases the eye. You have to experience it yourself to understand. This is pure art!







Thank you so much my new Canadian friend – The Gastronaut Sébastien SCoffier for the Oriol Balaguer recommendation. If you are interested in food, great chefs, trends, books etc you have to visit his web-magazine and weblog: http://bestemergingchefs.wordpress.com or http://scoffier.wordpress.com

The Chocolate Factory – The final chocolate stop
If you somehow not succeded to buy chocolate in Barcelona you have got one last chance at the airport at the “The Chocolate Factory”. They offer for example an amusing chocolate survival-kit or a chocolate marmalade with pear.