November 11, 2011
Barcelona August 2011

La Boqueria St Josep Barcelona

I always have to find the local food market when I travel and part of the fun is not knowing what you will find. However sometimes you come across one that is so inspirational and exciting that I get into my "I want to live next door to this mode" and start planning. St Josep Boqueria off Las Ramblas in Barcelona is definately one of them. This market hits every button and more and for me is up there with food market in Porto in northern Portugal and some of the Asian treasures like Denspasar in Bali and Shidong in Taipei,Taiwan. Not only do you find out about local food culture but you also find really traditional food in the market restaurants of outstanding quality that cater for locals and market traders. I was so taken with this market and its location that I am planning to go back and rent an apartment close by so I can shop, cook & photograph in situ.

As you arrive at the market from the front entrance there are a lot of stalls catering for the tourist market with ready cut fruit, smoothies and sweets for sale. This is hardly surprising as this city is a mecca for tourists with all it has to offer in historic buildings, designer shops and great weather. Here are just some of the stalls in the market. Make sure you find time to go and sit at one of the bars, people watch and soak up the atmosphere, you wont be dissapointed.

This sweet stall was one of many clustered together at the entrance to the market. The display is vibrant and a touch magnetic

At 5.5 Euros a pack these are not cheap but a provide a healthy snack for shoppers

Red and white dragon fruit look impressive and also a great idea to sell cut with a spoon for take away. In fact this practice is very common in Asian markets too

This display shows how much effort the stallholders put in to make their stalls stand out. A neccessity in this bustling market

Irresistable dragees - important in wedding celebrations to symbolise prosperity, fertility, happiness, and good luck. These were used as confetti to be thrown at weddings, its more common now for paper confetti to be used and for these to wrapped as wedding table gifts

Olives or chocolates?

Fruit pastilles

Many stalls sell these freshly made smoothies in many different fruit combinations

But to find the heart of this market you have to delve deeper. We had arrived early for breakfast so we headed to the back of the market where you always find where the stall holders and locals eat. This market did not dissapoint. As we sat down and ordered our coffee, tortilla and tomato bread a huge tray of baby calmari were thrown on the griddle for tapas. A couple next to us ordered stewed tripe and a bottle of rioja - it was 9.00am and this market adventure was hotting up. By the time we left the bottle of wine was empty and second plates of tripe had arrived......

Our breakfast didn't include tripe or wine but it was freshly cooked and the bread was seriously good

Freshly griddled baby calamari ready for the mid-morning rush

Breakfast was over and now it was time to hit the stalls. First off the fish and seafood section - stunning displays and ultra fresh and far too many to show here so this is a snapshot of what is on offer

This tuna loin was glistening under the lights and intensely red

A speciality in Spain and Portugal and verstalite - texture and flavour of salted fish is so different to eating it fresh. Before refrigeration salted and drying cod was essential. I sometimes salt fresh cod before I cook it to draw the water out as it firms up the texture of the fish and makes it more interesting.

This dry cured tuna loin is a Spanish speciality and expensive too. But its served in very thin slivers as part of a tapas plate so a little goes a long way

Razor clams as fresh as this are such a wonderful sight. Served in seafood stews and in paellas, or simply "a la plancha" in non-tourist restauarants they are a treat

There were many different stalls selling cured hams and chorizo

Chilli ropes

Spanish rice - this is available in Sainsbury's Special Selection and in other good delicatessens here in the UK

While at this stall a platter of mushrooms was being loaded up for a market trader. I followed him to a tapas bar where I am guessing they were to be cooked up for later probably on the griddle getting a similar treatment to the calamari

This is just a hint of what this fantastic market has to offer. On the street outside there are also stalls selling flowers, seeds and fresh herbs. If you are going to Barcelona any time soon make sure you find time to fit this in.

Recipe for home cured tuna coming up next.