La Boqueria is the bustling market tucked right in the middle of La Rambla, Barcelona's tree lined central boulevard. Most hours of the day La Boqueria (and La Rambla) is overrun with tourists but it's well worth the effort spent braving the crush. Inside is foodie mecca. I spent several of my mornings at the market, including my first and second in the city, splurging on seafood breakfasts, buying souvenirs and gifts, and photographing just about everything.
Thursday morning (day two) I was prepared to fight the crowds to get to El Quim, one of the more popular mini-restaurants sprinkled throughout the market. Despite warnings of long waits, there were plenty of open stools when I visited around 11 am. On the recommendations of too many bloggers to count, I ordered huevos con chipirones. They were fantastic, probably my favorite meal of the trip.
The thimble sized baby squids are served on top of two perfectly fried eggs. Through gestures, your server will tell you to slash through the eggs to release the yolk, enriching the purple sauce of squid ink. The dish is liberally sprinkled with crisp, flaky sea salt adding seasoning and a subtle crunch. Super tender and just a bit sweet, the squid tasted of the sea, not overly salty in the least. At El Quim I also had my first taste of Spanish coffee. I ordered un cortado, a espresso cut with a little milk. Unsurprisingly, it was excellent. I hear cava is popular too, even in the morning, so feel free to order a little bubbly with your breakfast.
Another must-try: zumos. Sold for 1-2 euros, they're the ultra fresh juices sold at the fruit stalls near the front of the market. I tried multiple flavors over the course of the week; coconut strawberry, strawberry lime, kiwi coconut banana, and mango orange. My favorite was the pretty green kiwi coconut banana, the little kiwi seeds add just enough texture and acid to cut through the creamy coconut and banana.
La Boqueria boasts several fantastic restaurants but its main attraction is the hundreds of stalls stocking every kind of meat, seafood, spice, and produce you could possibly need. Though the market is always stuffed with tourists, plenty of locals patiently brave the crowds to buy their groceries.
Itty bitty chorizos and sausages at one of the many ham stalls. And more salted cod, aka bacalao, than anyone in America would know what to do with.
Oozy razor clams are actually delicious when cooked up on la plancha, a flattop griddle.
Zumos and fresh fruit! Still kicking myself for not trying out the pitahaya flavor, just for the amazing fuchsia color.
Man, I miss Spain. Did you ever try Kiosko Universal in La Boqueria? I'm curious how they compare.
ReplyDeleteI did indeed! In fact I went twice and had fantastic seafood both times. But if I had to pick one to go back to, I think I'd pick el Quim. The food was just so perfect and nothing like I could get back in the states. Check the Barcelona tag for the post on Kiosko Universal :)
Delete