Table of Contents:
LOCAL MISCONCEPTIONS.
TAPAS.
ENTREES.
VEGETABLES.
DESSERTS.
LOCAL WINES.
Wines of Spain. Spanish Beers. Spanish Spirits.
Tarragona, as a city, does not have its cuisine. It has Catalan cuisine, which it shares with the region of the same name. What it does with this regional cuisine is a different story. It is fun to arrive here after a few days in Barcelona. You order what you think you had in Barcelona; it has the same name. But one bite and you can taste Tarragona has a trick up its sleeve. This burst of new sensations is the local flavor.
For more information on Barcelona cuisine, click here.
Catalan Cuisine in Tarragona
Within this region, you have different influences. Along the coast, you have fresh vegetables such as tomato, eggplant, beans, chickpeas, mushrooms, and artichoke. And there’s the seafood and fish, including sardine, anchovy, tuna, and cod.
As you move away from the coast, you get into the local countryside, which they call Camp de Tarragona. Here you will find almonds, hazelnuts, meat, dairy, and eggs. Move into the mountains, and wild mushrooms, potatoes, and chestnuts start showing up in recipes. Also, you see more recipes, including pork. Catalonia is a significant producer of Spanish pork products.
South of Tarragona is the Ebro River delta. The second largest river in the peninsula waters farms for hundreds of miles before reaching the Med. In the delta area, you get local rice and citrus fruits.
All of Catalonia shares garlic, olive oil, cheese, and wine.
In other words, you need to get out and experience Catalonia. Then see what taste Tarragona brings to the table.
Catalan Misconceptions.
Paella is from Tarragona, and you must only try it there. Close, but not quite right. Paella comes from the Valencia area, although you can find it anywhere (everywhere) these days.
And although you CAN find paella in Tarragona, you probably will not see the locals and travelers ordering it.
- Fideuà (also from Valencia) is similar to paella but substitutes a small pasta noodle for the rice. Like the rice, the noodles are not pre-cooked, but “simmered” in a small amount of liquid in the low flat pan. Predominantly, you will only find this in Valencia and Catalonia. This dish is what the locals order; you should taste Tarragona Fideua as well.
Tapas.
Tapas come from all over Spain. Each region has its spin on them.
- Pan con Tomate (Pan is bread, so bread with tomato). It’s not hard to find a bread and tomato appetizer anywhere in Spain, or France, or Italy, or… In Catalan, they make you do all the work. You rub a sliced tomato on fresh bread and add a splash of olive oil and a sprinkle of salt. You can taste Tarragona in every bite.
- Coca de Samfaina – is coca (local pastry dough) with samfaina (Spanish ratatouille – zucchini, eggplant, peppers, onion, garlic, and parsley simmered in olive oil) on top. Botifarra means the addition of some local sausage.
- Paltruc (cured meat) – in Catalonia, is from a bull and has a mild taste. They have white and black Paltruc; the difference being that black includes animal blood and pepper. This seasoning gives it a little kick.
Taste Barcelona Entrees.
Seafood.
With the Mediterranean at their doorstep, the Catalonians have made good use of local ingredients.
There are too many choices to name them all here (and everyone has a different recipe for them).
- Arros Negre (Rice black) – is another example of them serving paella, but not the way you know. Squid is the crucial ingredient in this dish, which is paella with black rice. Actually, by the end, everything is a little darker from the squid ink.
- Arrossejat – is rice they simmer in fish stock. They top it with fish from the grill or frier.
- Arroz Abanda – has soo many combinations, and everyone’s is the best. It is rice with one of several kinds of fish that they serve with Allioli or Romesco sauce.
- Escudella I Carn D’Olla – is a part stew, part soup, part meatball, depending on how you make it. They slowly cook the meat in a vegetable broth. When it is tender, they remove it from the liquid and form it into a meatball. From here, things get blurry. They may serve it separately or back in the stew. They may also include other meat. At one time, they would add pasta, although that is not as popular today.
- Fricandó – is a delicious beef stew they slow-cook with mushrooms. Count the number of grandmas in Catalonia; there are at least that many versions of this dish.
- Embotits – covers a wide variety of cured dry sausages (often pork) in Spanish and Portuguese cuisine. In Catalan, the most popular include:
- Botifarra – is a savory sausage of all-natural pork, sea salt, and black pepper.
- Fuet – is pork flavored with black pepper and garlic.
Taste Tarragona Vegetables.
- Calçots – are a type of green onion (scallion) that grows from January to late April. The calçot from Catalonia is a registered Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) in the European Union. They eat these more as a snack than a vegetable (think artichokes). They char the calçots on the grill. Wrap them in some paper to steam them. In Tarragona, they serve them with a romesco dipping sauce. You eat the white part in the center, not the skin.
Escalivada – is a side dish favorite in the summer months. It includes fresh roasted vegetables with olive oil.
Sauces and Condiments.
Not as numerous as the French sauces, however, there are a few Catalan ones you should know.
- Allioli – is a thick sauce of garlic (all) and (i) olive oil (oli). It is prevalent along the coast with grilled meats and vegetables. Although some refer to it as mayonnaise, it does not contain egg.
- Picada – is a traditional Catalan sauce mixing garlic, parsley, roasted almonds, and pine nuts. It is often a base for other sauces for both fish and meat.
- Romesco – is a mixture of roasted or raw almonds, or pine nuts, roasted garlic, olive oil, and sun-dried red peppers. Initially made by fishermen to put on seafood, it is now used for other dishes as well.
- Salvitxada – is a variation of Romesco, thicker and with more garlic.
- Xató – is a variety of Salvitxada, without the tomatoes, used in a salad with anchovy, tuna, and cod.
Romesco sauce goes great with barbecued calçots, sweet onions.
- Samfaina – is a sauce combining sautéed tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants (aubergines.) It is a traditional sauce you will find in many different dishes
- Sofrito – is a basic Spanish tomato sauce you will see on many menus, but it is not a sauce from Cataluna.
Taste Tarragona Sweet Things.
Although none of these originate in Tarragona, they are still local dishes.
- Crema Catalana – is the “mother-ship” of Catalan sweets. It is a yellow cream made with egg yolk, milk, and sugar. Similar to the creme brulee or flan, but not the same. The traditional presentation is in a low, broad carafe or bowl. They cover the cream with white crystal sugar and burn it. This heat creates a layer of sugar that you have to break to reach the cream.
- Xuixos – are fried pastries with a stuffing of Crema Catalana.
- Tortell – is a puff pastry with a stuffing of trufa (cacao, chocolate, and cream) or with Crema Catalana.
- Carquinyolis – are little crunchy almond biscuits. More of a sweet at coffee time.
- Catànies are local Marcona almonds with a covering of white chocolate and dusting of chocolate powder. Also popular with coffee.
Wines of Cataluna
There are three wine areas within an hour’s drive from Tarragona.
Winemaking in this area dates back to the 1100s. In the 1970s, Franco almost destroys all of the wineries with ill-thought-out agricultural plans. Luckily, they are doing better today than ever before.
D.O.Q. Priorat – is a Catalan Denominació d’Origen Qualificada (D.O.Q.) wine. This status applies to 11 municipalities in the area.
They produce powerful red wines in their mountainous region, with rugged dry soil. Nothing will grow there, except olive trees and award-winning wine grapes. The earth and climate produce a rich, ripe red wine. The white wines are growing in popularity in the last few years.
D.O. Montsant is also in the mountains, adjacent to Priorat. It is a Denominación de Origen (D.O.) wine. They have similar soil to Priorat but are not producing wines as bold as Priorat, yet. It covers six regions, no two areas making the same wine.
D.O. Penedès is also a Denominación de Origen (D.O.,) wine. Besides the Penedès region, they may also produce wines under this status in Alt Camp, Anoia, Baix Llobregat, and Tarragonès. They grow the grapes in the fertile soil closer to the sea. The land and climate allow for red and white varieties. There are more than 100 wineries in this region. Many are open for touring through organized tour companies.
Taste Tarragona Summary
In short, they share the fundamental recipes of many dishes with Cataluna, but you can taste Tarragona has something extra. The soil, the terrain, the moisture from the sea all produce products that are unique to this area. Fruits of the land and sea on your plate, and award-winning wines as well. Why are you waiting? Come, taste Tarragona.