Internship 2022 : Catalan specialties

Catalonia has a rich history and a distinctive culture, including a distinctive cuisine. Catalan cuisine, heavily influenced by neighboring France and Italy, is truly Mediterranean, coming from both land and sea. So if you want to get away from it all on your course in Spain, let us take you to the land of a thousand and one delights!

Some ideas to get you started during your internship

Esqueixada :
Esqueixada is a salad of unsalted cod, tuna, tomatoes, peppers, olives and onions – it’s very refreshing and great in summer!

Cannelloni a la barcelonesa:
Yes, cannelloni is a Catalan specialty. Imported from Italy in the 19th century by the bourgeoisie, they were quickly adopted by the Catalans, who gave them their own touch.

Escalivada :
Escalivada can be served as a starter or as a garnish, as it is made from baked candied vegetables. It is usually made with eggplants, peppers and onions seasoned with olive oil.

Broad beans Catalan style:
Broad beans are cooked with lard, onion, garlic, bay leaves and olive oil. They can be eaten alone or accompanied by a type of Catalan sausage called butifarra negra.

Let’s move on to the main menus for your practices

Paella:
The name of this iconic dish comes from the Catalan paella, which refers to the large plate used to prepare this mixture of rice, saffron and poultry. Originally from Valencia, paella is so popular among Catalans that they have reinvented it by replacing some of the meats with seafood such as mussels and shrimp. So, during your course, take the opportunity to join the tradition of Catalans and Valencians who usually eat paella at lunchtime (especially on Thursdays), and never in the evening.
In Catalonia it is also common to eat other rice-based specialties: rice with lobster and arroz caldoso (a dish more liquid than paella but just as tasty).

Arròs negre :
Black rice is a really delicious Catalan specialty. Its color is due to the squid ink, which is mixed in the rice with white wine and fish stock. It is usually accompanied by seafood.

Fideuà:
This dish is very similar to paella, as it has the same type of cooking and some of the same ingredients, such as tomato, chicken and shrimp. However, the rice is replaced by noodles (fideus in Catalan). Fideuá is usually served with a garlic or lemon sauce.

Bacallà a la llauna:
This cod dish dates back to the 18th century and is deeply rooted in Catalan culinary culture. The word llauna refers to the metal dish in which the fish is cooked with tomatoes, paprika, white wine and parsley.

And finally, the dessert!

Crema Catalana and mel i mató:
Crema Catalana is an egg-based dessert covered in burnt sugar. It is delicious and reminiscent of the crème brûlée from which it is inspired.

Another specialty, mel i mató, is made with a not-too-creamy yogurt (mató) with a pinch of honey (mel in Catalan).

Cakes:
Among the most popular pastries in Catalonia is braç de gis itano, a rolled pastry filled with Catalan cream. You can also use púding de moniatos as a filling. If you prefer dry pastries, escumes de Sitges are almond and egg white cookies from a coastal town south of Barcelona. What do you think? Are you tempted by these pastries that you can find along your internship?

Bunyols de Quaresma:
During Lent, we eat doughnuts (bunyols). They are hollow, filled with cream and flavored with anise or liqueur and rolled in sugar before being served.

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