Spanish food.?Mmmmm. So you?re thinking Paella, Olives,? Chorizo, Cheese from? the North, silky Jam?n from the high mountains.? Tapas too of course, a very civilised way to have a drink with friends, a little saucer of food to accompany your drink.
But what about Postre?? Dessert is always an intrinsic part of a Menu del Dia in Spain.? Sometimes simply a piece of fresh fruit, an ice cream, or a rice based pudding.? In Catalunya though, they excel in the Pud department.? Let?s take a drool through a sample menu ? 10 desserts of Catalunya.
Costa Brava Catalonia
What type are you?
A weekend in Barcelona, an art trip through Catalunya, maybe hot on the trail of Dal?.? A week by the sea on the bracing Costa Brava, or a romantic few days in Girona.
Whatever your type of holiday, or length of stay ? food will feature at some point or another.? You don?t , however, come to Spain to diet!? The Mediterranean diet, whatever it is, has shown no sign of itself in the 7 years I have lived in Spain, I love the food here so much that I appear to have doubled?.! Perhaps I just like the nice things a little too much.
Spanish cheesecake ? baked until golden and delicious
Different tastes
Regionally, Spanish food varies, often greatly depending on the landscape,? the weather, or? the surrounding countryside.
A trip spent on the wonderful Spanish coastline will bring a bounty of seafood, go to Asturias for roast Lamb and tasty cheese, Andaluc?a on a plate means wholesome county food, Game and locally sourced ingredients.? Catalonia, though, or Catalunya if you prefer,? really gets the Michelin star for desserts, let?s see what are the ten most popular, so that you might identify them on the menu. Perhaps you know of a few more which aren?t here?
1. Bombons de M?sic:?
They won?t sing to you, but they are tasty!? Bombons de M?sic are little tartlets ? or a big one ? made from crumbly pastry and filled to the brim with dried fruits and nuts.? Served with Moscatel wine ? so sweet ? to wash them down.
Tempting treats. Photo by Brian Yuen
2. Bisbalenc:
You?ll wonder whether this is sweet or savoury when you see the list of ingredients.? Pine nuts, Courgette, and Puff pastry. They all candied and sugared though ? definitely sweet!? Bisbalenc comes from?La Bisbal of course ? the place, not the singer! La Bisbal is about 30 kilometres South-east of Girona ? another super destination.
3. Coca de Sant Joan:
A concoction of dried fruits and glac? cherries ? this dessert is traditionally bought and eaten as part of the San Juan celebrations on Midsummers day.? So not only do you have bonfires on the beach, and ritual cleansing at midnight, but also folk stuffing themselves with cake! Spain does have some weird traditions?
Coca de Sant Joan ? a sweet snack!
4. Tap:
Not a place to drink.? Tap is shaped like a Cava cork ? and is mostly from Cadaques, so perhaps Dal? indulged in a kilo or three of these, needing a sugar rush for inspiration?
Read a little more on that eccentric but brilliant artist in an earlier post here.
5. Xuixo:
I think we call this a French Horn ? a cone filled with fresh whipped cream, covered in caster sugar ? really very sweet, and a bit sickly ? maybe not one for after a heavy meal.
6. Panellets:
That firm Spanish favourite: Marzipan.? Cut into small cubes and then covered with an assortment of various sweet things, chopped glac? fruit, nuts, dipped in chocolate ? all things to keep you going to the dentist. Buy an assortment by the kilo. Really popular at Christmas time in Spain, and the following events of New Year and Three Kings.? Enter a Spanish house at this time of year and you?ll be handed a drink and a plateful of something like these?.and then probably expected to eat a marathon meal as well.
Different types of Marzipan
7. Menjar Blanc:
Just an old fashioned milk pudding like Granny use to make ? often served cold as well as warm ? a Winter Postre!
Cold and refreshing in the heat of a Spanish Summer ? a great end to a light lunch.? Siesta anyone?
Flan ? just one of the Spanish milk puddings
8. Carquinyols:
A hard and crunchy biscuit, made and flavoured with Almonds. Maybe order one to go with your dish of ice-cream.
9. Trefi:
A pastry in the distinct shape of a wine cork ? you?ll find Trefi in San Feliu de Guixols ? that lovely destination for lovers of architecture. San Feliu de Guixols is a well heeled hidden gem of Catalunya, read more about it in an earlier post by clicking here.
10. Crema Catalana:
Well, it had to make the list, didn?t it ? you?ll all know this one. It should really have been number one, and the dessert most likely to make you think of Catalunya.? Cracking the crunchy top with the back of your spoon is the best bit, revealing the velvet custard underneath.? There are versions of this one, flavoured with orange, lemon and cinnamon.? I wonder which came first ? the Crema Catalana or the French Creme Caramel?? Hmmm?
Burning the sugar on top for extra crunch! Use the Salamander!
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Okay, now who?s drooling?? Plenty of food for thought, and if you try all of them, you?ll be putting your dentist?s kids through college. See whether you can find any more tasty deserts of Catalonia to tempt your taste buds, and do forget about the calories, you?re on holiday!
Originally from Dublin, Carol has also lived in London and Wales before settling in Spain with her husband and family in 2006. She and her family run a rural retreat high in the Alpujarras mountains of Granada, which you can find here as property number 17043. She blogs about traditional village life, sparked by a passion for the culture and history of Spain, and teaches English locally..
Source: http://www.spain-holiday.com/blog/10-just-desserts-of-catalunya.php
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