Top Mediterranean fare
The giant church Sagrada Familia is in Barcelona, the capital of Catalonia, Spain. Although Catalan cuisine is similar to Spanish food, it has its own dishes. We looked at Greek cuisine last week. Catalan food is also a Mediterranean cuisine - seafood and fresh vegetables are a big part of daily meals.
Barcelona has many famous chefs and restaurants. The city's cuisine is one of the best in the world. Garlic, tomatoes, eggplants, olive oil and seafood are very important in Catalan cuisine, as they are in Greek cooking. Seafood is popular in the coastal areas. In the interior, Catalonia is well-known for its pork products, such as sausages and ham.
Influences
Catalonia is in northeastern Spain, and borders southern France. Its food has influences from southern France and from the days the Romans occupied it. It is also influenced by the cuisine of the rest of Spain.
Experts say Catalan food is one of the oldest unchanged traditions in Europe. Some Catalan dishes are said to be almost the same as they were hundreds of years ago.