It's hard to find time to get around Barcelona during my daily siestas, so last week on my Monday off I set out to explore a couple of the city's most famous food markets. My first port of call was El Mercat St. Antoni, dedicated to the 19th-century Catalan Roman Catholic archbishop, Jesuit missionary and confessor of Queen Isabella II - Saint Antonio Maria Claret y Clarà. Ask anyone in today's Barcelona who St. Antoni was and they're more likely to name the father of modern civic design, Antoni Gaudí i Cornet, the rheumatic Catalan architect. Whichever St. Antoni you revere, the offerings at Mercat St. Antoni are a fitting tribute. It's the place to go for retro clothes, second-hand books and assorted collectibles.
More familiar to the city's millions of visitors is El Mercat St. Josep de la Boqueria, universally known as La Boqueria. Established over 800 years ago, the market was forced to relocate many times over the centuries before it settled permanently just off the main tourist street Las Ramblas in 1836. Boqueria is a wonderland of sights, sounds and fresh produce. It's also where many of Barcelona's top chefs source their ingredients, and during a fruit-related crisis you're likely to find my Head Chef Arnau frantically pedalling back along the Rambla with boxes of peaches and pineapples in his bike basket.
I took quite a few photographs in the market and I've uploaded them to Flickr to give you a glimpse of the wonder that is La Boqueria. If there's anything you don't recognise, click on the slide for explanation.
I took quite a few photographs in the market and I've uploaded them to Flickr to give you a glimpse of the wonder that is La Boqueria. If there's anything you don't recognise, click on the slide for explanation.
8 comments - post yours here:
I love the pictures and can't wait 'till next year when I may have the chance to revisit this city.
I'm amazed at the care over the presentation of food in markets like this and also the sense of community that exists in them. When I was in Stockholm my favourite market was Hotorgshallen - amazing fish, chocolate and a great coffee bar to sit and people watch...
Looks fantastic - am deeply jealous! When I've been to similar markets in Spain (there's a good one in Valencia), I've noticed the lambs' heads for sale - any idea what to do with them? I've had lambs brains before which were great. But then maybe I'm asking the wrong guy - I've heard about your aversion to offal before ;)
wonderful pictures! nice post...AP
Mark - I think there's a great sense of community in food markets most places, it's just the sense of pride in the produce that really comes across here.
Richard - I've been learning to appreciate offal (especially after visiting St. John) but you're right - it's not my favourite. Most people just slow roast them. But here's a recipe I found on the web that might be more appropriate: "Take the lamb head and hand it to the dog. This can be fed as a stand-alone meal or with a side of organ meat."
Amar - wish I could claim artistic credit, but it's just a good point-and-click digital camera.
Was there nearly two years ago - shopping at La Boqueria in the day, and cooking back at the apartment in the evening. Why's it always better when you cook it yourself?
You get the feeling that other European countries have such a different realitionship with food going to places like this.
You have to go to the rialto market in Venice too. The best located market in the world.
James - you're right about the relationship with food being a key part of their cultural identity. That's why I've left home and come here. I think much of France and Italy share this same character and I expect I'll work in both one day.
This popular food market has some of the best food stands in all Spain. The quality is excellent and the presentation too. OK, you won't buy many fresh food, but anyway, this Barcelona place deserves a visit, not only for the local ambiance, but also for the architecture of the place and the nice colored glass. Spanish writer Vazquez Montalban, known as a gourmet, came here daily to buy fresh products...
Know i'm a bit late on this one but 'the boq' is one of my favourite places on earth. Breakfast on the lamb ribs at pinotxo and an excuse for beer at breakfast! Fantastic
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