Nothing describes Christmas better than a family around a table to celebrate it.
Each country, and even each region, has its own traditions, which are often reflected in specific dishes to celebrate the Christmas holidays in a special way and, needless to say, always delicious.
In this post we present the most traditional Christmas gastronomy of Barcelona so that you can choose the one that suits you best.
Don’t forget to order it in restaurants during your Christmas holidays in Barcelona!
Escudella i Carn d’olla
This soup is the first course for Christmas meals.
It is made using a pasta called galets and it traditionally contains a large sized chopped meat loaf made from four types of meat: pork, beef, lamb and chicken and an endless number of vegetables: chickpeas or beans, potatoes, turnips, carrots, celery, green cabbage and parsnips.
Canelones
Traditionally, canelones are prepared by using the possible leftovers of meat from Christmas Eve dinner (24 December) and Christmas lunch, although nowadays few houses really make them with leftovers.
The canelones were introduced by Italian cooks from some of Barcelona’s bourgeoisie families at the end of the 19th century and since then have become an essential dish at any Christmas table.
Neulas y turrones
There is no Christmas meal that should end without these two typical Christmas sweets.
The nougat is a sweet of Islamic origin made with honey and almonds, although it has already been documented its use in Barcelona in the fifteenth century.
The neulas are circular biscuits made with sugar, egg white, lemon peel, flour and butter very similar to wafer biscuits although they are finer and crunchier. There is evidence that these were already eaten in the Middle Ages, even before nougat.
These are some of the delights of Barcelona’s Christmas gastronomy, but there are many more. Don’t miss them all!
Is your mouth watering? Make the most of Christmas in Barcelona and don’t hesitate to ask our staff at reception and they will tell you where to discover these and many more typical dishes of Barcelona.
Enjoy!
