Mmm Catalan Food

Once again I am going to write about something I LOVE! Food is very important to me and I love different cultures tastes and experiences, so I have chosen to find out more about Catalan food. There was loads to write about so I've done a little on the history but more importantly, general facts, especially about cakes :)

The food in Catalonia is quite distinct and goes back to the time of the Romans. Since then it has been using recipes and ideas from the Italian, French, Greek, Arabian and Jewish cuisines. It has the characteristics of the traditional Mediterranean cuisine, so is full in vegetables, fish and meats, all cooked with olive oil of the best quality.
Food is an important part of the Catalan culture; something that we don’t really have here in England, and the time dedicated to eating is one of the main leisure activities in the Catalonian society. They usually have lunch around 2pm and their dinner at 10pm, which is different to England and other European cultures, who tend to eat earlier.

The first known published Catalan recipe book is "Llibre de Sent Soví" (1324), which has more than two hundred recipes. This cooking manuscript, one of the oldest in Europe, is proof that already in those times, Catalonia enjoyed a very refined cuisine. Nowadays, the Catalan cuisine is regarded all over the world for the great innovation it has developed to remain updated without losing the identity of so many years of tradition.

Phrases:
• A la Catalana can mean either a dish with raisins or pine nuts.
• Al meu avi means, 'granny's way,' and indicates super traditional cooking.
• Al mercat literally, 'to the market', implies freshness and it is the latest 'in' thing.
• Casolana means home style cooking.
• A la Brasa means grilled over a wood fire, which is very popular these days as most people can't do this at home.

Cakes and Pastries:
Catalan coca is a very popular flat and oval shaped pastry, usually made of a sort of Victoria sponge. The texture varies, from dry and flaky to moist or spongy, and the ingredients and toppings range from sugar, anisette and dried fruit, to tangy fried onion and green pepper.
Traditionally, different coques are made for each feast day. The most well-known is the mid-summers eve coca de Sant Joan, which is leavened, candied and glazed. Coca de llardons is made with sugared chicharrones (pork scratchings) and is eaten the Carnival week before Lent.

Many towns and villages in Catalonia have local specialities:
• Alt Empordà produces ‘taps’ which are a champagne cork shaped sponge cake. It also produces ‘flaona’ which is a flaky cone stuffed with cheese, cream cheese or whipped cream.
• Arbúcies (La Selva), is famous for its hard almond biscuits called ‘carquinyols’.
• Girona is famous for its Pets de Monja which translates as Nun’s Farts. These are Catalan biscuits, yet the inventor was an Italian baker who named them petto di monacca - a nun's chest - which eventually got roughly translated into Catalan 'Nun's Farts'.
• Vilafranca de Penedes produces Catanias which are chocolate-covered almonds – an Italian recipe.

But, the most famous Catalan dessert is crema catalana - a custard pudding sealed with a coating of burnt caramel.

Thanks, Chiara

http://www.iberianature.com/material/spain_food/catalan_food_guide.html
http://www.gencat.cat/catalunya/eng/cuina.htm