5 MUST EAT Dishes of Barcelona

Barcelona has a lot to offer the visitor. This Catalan "painting", adorned with Gaudi's talent, full of colours and aromas, music and fun, apart from its exotic beauty, has another ace up its sleeve... its food!

Paella, Pamtomaquet (Bread with Tomato), Patatas Bravas, Bombas, croquettes, potato tortillas, hamon, fried chipirones, escalivada, fideua are some of the dishes one can try in Spain.

1. Seafood paella

While Valencia is definitely the capital of Spanish Paella, Barcelona is not lagging behind in the rice department. The rice which is used for the dish and makes it different from other Paellas is called Bomba and you can taste it mostly in Barcelona.

Based on tomato sauce, a combination of shellfish and seafood cooked together, a "sofrito", fish broth and rice are enough to make one of the most delicious dishes in Spanish cuisine. Don't despair though if you are not a seafood lover as most restaurants in Barcelona also specialise in Paella with meat and vegetables.

2. Iberian Hamon

Iberian cured ham is well known all over the world and in my humble opinion, it is one of the most delicious things you can taste on the entire planet.

There are many grades of Spanish ham, which can be confusing even to the locals. A general rule of thumb is that the more expensive you pay for it, the better it will be.

You can visit one of the local markets, such as the famous Boqueria to taste and buy Jamon. But if you happen to try it in a tapas bar, ask to accompany it with Pamtomaquet (bread with tomato)

3. Croquetas

The French are believed to have invented the croquetas, but the "invention" is only the first step. The Spanish made croquetas an art form! They are made by breading and frying a variety of ingredients held together by a thick béchamel sauce that becomes a rich and irresistible flavor base.

The most popular bar is the croqeta de Jamon which is flavoured with the mouth-watering taste of cured Spanish Iberian ham. However, you will find that the variety of croquettes offered vary from place to place, the only thing they have in common is that "heaven" taste they leave on our palate! 

4. Potato Tortilla Tortilla

Probably the most popular dish in all of Spain "tortilla española". You can find this dish any time of the day or night. A simple but delicious dish. You can order the classic tortilla with or without onions almost anywhere. In some restaurants you will find a wide variety of tortillas.

Slowly cooked potato and onion in olive oil, which is then whipped together with eggs and turned into a kind of omelette. Some of the classic tortillas include Chorizo, zucchini, spinach and cheese.

5. Patatas Bravas

While bravas potatoes are a favorite all over the country, Barcelona is a great place to try some perfectly fried potatoes covered in a special spicy "bravas" sauce. The style of this sauce can be really different from place to place.

There are two basic styles you will come across, one is the more common mayonnaise based with lots of wonderful spices and the other is tomato based which usually has a wonderful vinegar taste that blends so well with the fries.