October 15th, 2011
After lunch on Saturday we went to Barcelona’s beautiful and historical market, Mercat St. Josep de la Boqueria to buy food for a large Sunday lunch.
I must have been to the market every day this week and 20 years ago, when I lived in Barcelona, I did all my shopping there. It’s the kind of place that makes one think, “Who needs supermarkets?”
We had invited about 12 people to lunch and the shopping list included turkey,
duck,
rabbit,
beautiful scallops (not quite as good as real life, under the fluorescent lighting)
and figs.
There has been a market, more or less, on La Boqueria site since about 1200 and it originates from an open air market, outside one of the city gates, where local farmers came to sell their wares. It is thought that the name comes from the Catalan word boc meaning goat, which would suggest it was once, predominantly, a goat market. The current market structure dates from 1914 and has a distinct Art Nouveaux look – particularly in it’s sign (top photograph).
Family stallholders have passed their businesses down through the ages. Most stalls are now self contained lock ups with doors and shutters. Alongside fish, meat and vegetables, there are even several bars, serving food and drink through out the day. When I went clubbing, back in the 90’s, my girlfriend and I would often come here for coffee and a bocadillo de tortilla (Spanish omelette baguette), at 5 am, before going home to bed.
The market contains a diverse range of products – particularly pork, ham and sausages.
There’s a huge fresh fish section selling popular fish, such as merluza (hake) and rapé (monkfish).
No market in Spain would be complete without stalls selling salt cod (bacalao), salted and dried to preserve it, from a time before refrigerators existed and now, still an essential and delicious part of Spanish cuisine.
I don’t think I’d ever seen the beautiful and delicious kaki (persimmon) fruit before I first came here.
I was amused to see a spice marked Curry London, amongst the pimentón, cayenne and saffron today.
Continuing, the ancient traditions, local farmers still bring there fruit and vegetables to market on a daily basis and set up stalls in a little square, to one side of the permanent Boqueria building.
I never tire of this market, it’s a constant source of amusement an inspiration.
Look. You’re going to have to stop this Craig. I am getting fat reading it.
You should see the size of my stomach and there’s more food to come 😉
Even though my heart is “merengue” (you can ask a Catalonian what it means), I have to admit that this is a beautiful market 🙂 Thanks for sharing
Pingback: Turkey Fiesta | Mad Dog TV Dinners
Pingback: Sang Cuitat de Vedella | Mad Dog TV Dinners
It´s such a beautiful market – we only have “mini” versions near to where I live!
Pingback: Iposa | Mad Dog TV Dinners
Pingback: Kiosko Universal | Mad Dog TV Dinners
Pingback: Roast Beef and Kedgeree | Mad Dog TV Dinners
Pingback: Steak and Black Truffle | Mad Dog TV Dinners
Pingback: Magret Seché | Mad Dog TV Dinners
Pingback: Galtas de Ternera | Mad Dog TV Dinners
Pingback: Homage to Cataluña – Catering | Mad Dog TV Dinners
Pingback: Restaurante Victoria – revisited | Mad Dog TV Dinners
Pingback: Beef Osso Buco | Mad Dog TV Dinners
Pingback: Veal Penis Stew | Mad Dog TV Dinners
Pingback: Bacalao | Mad Dog TV Dinners
Pingback: Borough Market | Mad Dog TV Dinners
Pingback: Mojama | Mad Dog TV Dinners
Pingback: Sea Urchin (Uni) | Mad Dog TV Dinners
Pingback: La Palmera | Mad Dog TV Dinners
Pingback: Rooftop Barbecue | Mad Dog TV Dinners
Pingback: Big Breakfast | Mad Dog TV Dinners
Pingback: Mercat St. Josep – La Boqueria | Mad Dog TV Dinners
Pingback: Brill and Barbecue Preparation | Mad Dog TV Dinners
Pingback: Quail Barbecue | Mad Dog TV Dinners
Pingback: Prickly Pear | Mad Dog TV Dinners
Pingback: Menuts Rosa | Mad Dog TV Dinners
Pingback: Barrafina | Mad Dog TV Dinners
Pingback: Iposa (la fórmula) | Mad Dog TV Dinners
Pingback: Mercat de Mercats | Mad Dog TV Dinners
Pingback: La Calçotada | Mad Dog TV Dinners
Pingback: Mercat Galvany | Mad Dog TV Dinners
Pingback: Lamb Testicles | Mad Dog TV Dinners
Pingback: Suquet de Peix | Mad Dog TV Dinners
Pingback: Judías Pintas con Cordero | Mad Dog TV Dinners