Just returned from Spain. About a few months ago I met with the Consul General of Spain, Fernando Heredia Noguer, in Mumbai. Fernando is a fine gentleman who has embraced the people of this city as much as the people of the city have embraced him, and is such a good ambassador for his country. I met him at a cousin’s house over dinner, trying to negotiate over the noise and loud music of a party, he romanced Spain in that high decibel conversation. That’s when I decided that our still uncertain summer vacation was going to be in Spain.
After receiving our Schengen visa from a refreshingly friendly, encouraging and efficient Spanish consulate, we headed off to this warm Mediterranean country, which is full of charming people, easygoing lifestyle, a vibrant nightlife, centuries of history and vivid and sumptuous cuisine. claims that. We landed in Barcelona, checked in to our apartment that overlooked designer and architect Antoni Gaudí’s iconic, yet unfinished masterpiece. Rising, modernist cathedral, still being completed since construction began 120 years ago. We were hungry and I wanted a good Spanish breakfast. We got into a cab and headed for Las Ramblas, the main main street of Barcelona. A 1.3 km-long wide street filled with tourists, locals, street artists, shops, hotels, cafes and restaurants connects Plaça de Catalunya, a bustling bustle with breath-taking modernist architecture, sculptures, magic fountains and monumental buildings is the class. The city’s grand old port.
Right in front of Las Ramblas is the Mercat de la Boqueria or Boqueria Market. A huge space simply filled with food, food stalls, meats, seafood, fruits and vegetables. It’s a feast for the eyes as craggy oysters and silver sardines await you on beds of ice. Cut, garland, slice and dark red charcuterie parts await you on the slicer and chopping board. There are a variety of legs of ham just waiting to be served. Giant pans of paella embellished with clams and shrimp pop away over the fire and stuffed empanadas fly off their hot trays and shelves.
Being a sucker for eggs at breakfast, I settled for El Quim, the iconic eatery at Boqueira Market. Battling the crowd, we quickly grabbed a much-anticipated stool at Quim’s and ordered what they’re famous for, fresh anchovies doused in oil and vinegar, and scrambled eggs with baby squid. Resisting the urge to order sangria early in the morning as I ditched the eggs, I decided to indulge myself and order a portion of slow-cooked pork ribs and grilled prawns with garlic. All for breakfast, with some crispy hot roti. Sometimes just being surrounded by food seems like nothing more enjoyable than eating it.
When you think of Spanish cuisine, tapas is the first thing that comes to mind. The word ‘tapa’ hinges on the old-fashioned words when it meant ‘lid’. A lid that was absolutely necessary to cover small dishes to be shared, to protect them from the swarms of insects and flies that inhabit the cheap, dark, bar that served them. Today, tapas is an urban culinary movement and even chefs who are stars as well as chefs use their imagination to create these bite-sized sharing, yet substantial, hors d’oeuvres. D’oeuvres.
Actually in a small street, a few minutes’ walk from Plaça de Catalunya, is Avinguda del Portal de l’Angel, a pedestrian shopping plaza, Els Quatre Gats (The Four Cats). An old Art Nouveau-style cafe with the likes of Pablo Picasso and Antoni Gaudí as regular guests. At these tables, wine-filled debates on the principles of modernism and art take place. There are an endless number of tapas and some exceptional grills. Patatas bravas is a must as is the sirloin steak tartare, which is cut with a knife just after you order it, the tagliata of entrecote with roasted potatoes, grilled vegetables and spicy tartare sauce, absinthe grilled octopus and prawn casserole and is flamed with volcanic salt. And that was just the beginning of my Spanish journey. The weather was a bit hot, but the food was delicious.
Kunal Vijaykar is a food writer based in Mumbai. He tweets @kunalvijayakar and can be followed on Instagram @kunalvijayakar. What is the name of his youtube channel? The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not represent the stand of this publication.
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