Mercat de la Boqueria
A kid in a candy store. That’s the most apt description for my wide-eyed, wandering around one of the world’s greatest markets during a trip I took to Barcelona. I examined nearly every stall (umm…there are about 250 or so) and drove my husband nuts as he vaguely trailed behind me, snacking on bolinhos de bacalhau (salt cod fritters) – WHICH I gave him to keep him happy on the journey
Located off La Rambla, one of the most popular, walking streets in Barcelona, Mercat de la Boqueria is an indescribably rich market frequented by locals, tourists, and chefs alike. Like our own Union Square Greenmarket, many restaurants in the area source completely from what’s available in la Boqueria. Stalls consist of produce, hams (a lot!), dried fruits, candy, spices and other grocery items, seafood, meat, and even small restaurants. The tapas bars were packed when we were there – diners seated on bar stools scrambling for the servers’ attention. Bar Pinoxto, which was closed when I was there (so sad), is one of the most popular tapas spots in the market with (supposedly) incredibly flavorful dishes
To warn you, the meat stalls are not for the faint of heart / stomach! I refrained from posting any pics of pigs’ heads or whole rabbits. But everything else is pretty spectacular, incredibly fresh, and ridiculously diverse. From truffles to pimientos de padrón to fresh snails, they have it covered. I seriously would lose my mind if I could shop there everyday for my cooking
I personally picked up a boatload of saffron, cava vinegar, a host of cooking salts and sampled juices, fritters, and hams galore. My advice: go on an empty stomach. The U.S. banned jamón ibérico until 2007, so for a (ridiculously expensive) sample, check out Dean & Deluca, Agata & Valentina, or Despaña and let me know if it’s worth it