The Original Names of Catalan Dishes Explained in Plain English
- Contemporary Dining in Catalonia
Fish and seafood are important on menus in the coastal areas of Catalonia. Inland, typical Catalan dishes combine garden vegetables and a variety of meats.
Ferrán Adrià, Santi Santamaría or Carles Abellan are just the tip of the iceberg: so many big names in cooking are now associated with Catalonia that Barcelona was the first non-French city to become known as a ‘Ville Gourmande’.
Decoding a Catalan Menu
Restaurant and cafè menus are usually in the local Catalan language. Outside touristy areas in Barcelona andcoastal towns , an English translation is only occasionally provided, so here is a quick guide to help with the basics of Catalan cuisine:
Catalan Appetizers, Snacks and Tapas
- Amanida Catalan salad
- Galeres a l’all = Garlic scampi
- Coquetes amb samfaina = Vegetable pastries
- Gambes amb salsa romesco = Prawns in a spicy sauce dip
- Pa amb tomàquet = Bread and tomato appetizers
- Patates braves = Potatoes in spicy sauce
- Xató = Tarragona-style salad
Catalan Rice, Pasta Dishes and Soups
- Arròs a la catalana = Catalan-style rice
- Arròs amb crosta = Oven-browned rice
- Arròs amb faves = Rice with broad beans
- Arròs negre amb all-i-oli = Black rice with garlic and oil sauce
- Canalons a la catalana = Catalan-style cannelloni
- Fideus a la catalana = Spicy spaghetti with cured meats
- Fideus amb mariscs = Thin spaghetti with seafood
- Fideuà = Paella with pasta and fish
- Escudella a la catalana = Chickpea soup
- Sopa de musclos = Mussel soup
Catalan Meat
- Rostit de porc a la catalana = Oven-roasted fillet of pork
- Conill a l’estil tarragoní = Rabbit and chocolate casserole
- Conill amb cargols = Rabbit with snails
- Costelles al forn = Oven-roasted pork spare-ribs
- Escudella i carn d’olla = Mixed boiled meats with rice and broth soup
- Estofat de bou = Beef stew with chocolate
- Fricandó = Stewed meat and vegetables
- Mar i terra = Surf-and-turf: chicken with lobster and chocolate
- Paella parellada = Catalan-style paella
- Gall d’indi a la catalana = Stuffed turkey
- Perdius amb cols = Partridges in cabbage parcels
- Pollastre amb pebrots = Chicken with small green peppers
- Pollastre amb samfaina = Chicken with aubergines and sweet peppers
- Porc amb musclos = Pork with mussels
Catalan Fish, Shellfish and Seafood
- Anguila a l’all i i pebre = Stewed eels
- Bacallà amb samfaina = Cod with eggplant and vegetables
- Cargols a la llauna = Snails au gratin
- Cargols a la patarrallada = Grilled snails
- Moixarra a la sal = Gilthead in salt
- Esqueixada de bacallà = Dried codfish salad
- Sèpia amb rovellons = Cuttlefish with mushrooms
- Llagosta a la Costa Brava = Lobster in chocolate-flavored picada
- Musclos plens= Stuffed mussels
- Orada a la sal = Sea bream in a salt crust
- Pataco = Fresh tuna with clams and vegetables
- Rap amb salsa d’ametlles = Anglerfish in almond sauce
- Suquet de pix amb all-i-oli = Mixed fish casserole with alioli sauce
- Sarzuela = Mixed seafood stew
Catalan Egg and Vegetables Recipes
- Albergínia a la catalana =Aubergines with walnuts
- Cols a la catalana = Cabbage in spicy sauce
- Escalivada = Oven-baked vegetable mix
- Espinacs a la catalana / Espinacs amb panses i pinyons = Spinach with raisins and pine nuts
- Faves al tombet = Broad beans with lettuce
- Faves a la catalana = Broad beans with mixed cured meats
- Rovellons a la brasa = Grilled mushrooms
- Truita de patates = Open omelette with potatoes
- Truita de tomàquets i pebrots = Tomato and sweet pepper open omelette
Catalan Cakes, Sweets and Desserts
- Crema catalana = Oven-baked vanilla custard topped with caramelized sugar
- Ensaimades = Sweet twists
- Granisat = Lemon water-ice
- Mel i mató = Honey and soft cheese
- Menjar blanc = Almond blancmange
