A Taste of Barcelona

July 29, 2019
This deep dive into Catalan cuisine aims to provide a culinary history of the region and its largest metropolis, Barcelona, that isn’t typically found in guidebooks. Authors Song, a Spanish professor at Bryn Mawr, and Riera, who teaches food studies at Barcelona’s Abat Oliba University, start with some of the biggest names that put Barcelona on the map as “a gateway to a revolutionary culinary world”—particularly chef Ferran Adrià of El Bulli, known for pioneering molecular gastronomy (with dishes like “spherical melon caviar” and “exploding olives”). The authors track how the region’s distinctive cuisine and dining culture evolved through political takeovers and uprisings from the Middle Ages to the present, often “adapting foreign dishes to local tastes” (such as the tomato, which was brought from Cuba in the 18th century). The book concludes with a chapter of recipes for classic “building blocks of Catalan cooking” such as allioli (a sauce of garlic and oil) made in a mortar, and sofregit, a “jam-like” base for many dishes made of “diced onion, slowly cooked until caramelized.” This food biography will satisfy foodies and travel lovers looking to learn more about Catalonia’s culinary and cultural identity.

August 1, 2019
Barcelona is one of Spain's most visited cities. With a culture and language unique from the rest of the country, the metropolis attracts many who are involved in some type of culinary pursuit. Song and Riera richly document the origins of Catalan cooking in this book, delving as far back as the Middle Ages up to the present. They also focus on the rise of such celebrated chefs as Ferran Adri� of the restaurant elBulli, soon to reopen as elBulli 1846. Digging deep into the history of medieval Spain, they examine Muslim influence on both Spanish food and culture, and also how French gastronomy shaped Spanish cuisine. A section on Barcelona's restaurants is included, with a glimpse at their histories and how they contribute to the overall gastronomic landscape of the city. A final chapter provides a sample of traditional Catalan dishes, along with building blocks of this style of cooking, such as allioli, a garlic and olive-oil sauce. Recipes include rabbit with chocolate sauce, rice with artichokes, and panellets, or Catalan marzipan sweets.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)