Spain is known for its gastronomy and nobody will be disappointed of the Catalan food! Moreover, Barcelona is said to be the capital of the Catalan gastronomy. The Catalan cuisine uses basic ingredients that we all know, but its particularity is to mix them in an unusual but delicious way. Thence come tasty flavours that delight your plate.
One of my favourite type of meal are the tapas. Of course we all know tapas, but what I enjoy the most are the 'pa amb tomàquet' : bread rubbed with tomatoe and garlic and spayed with olive oil. Delicious! Tapas can be cold or warm and enables you to taste plenty of different things because of the small portions.
What else? The paella of course! With a lot of seafood. Actually I prefer the Fideua, exactly the same than the paella with prawns, scampis, chicken, pepper, tomatoes but vermicellis substitute rice.
Another speciality I discovered during the spring is the Calçotada; the calçots are kind of new onions burnt in vine shoots; you have to 'decaçote' then, it means to put off the first skin and then to eat them with this special sauce : romanesco. It tastes really good!
As desserts, we have to name the crema catalana, perfumed with cinnamon or the pastisset, a richness cake with anise.
To help you going on with all this tasty meals, Catalonia proposes severals drinks. La Orxata (or Orgeat) comes from la Chufa, a sort of papyrus growing in the marshland of the Guadalquivir and from which the essence is taken. The region also offers good wine from the Penedès, an area which cultivates numerous grape varieties. Finally, the Cava is the most known speciality of Catalonia; it's the Catalan Champagne, a really tasty sparkling wine.
If you like cooking, I think the funniest is to try making these recipes by yourself, at home. If you come on holidays, I know that you can rent Barcelona apartments which have nice kitchens with all the appliances. The apartment in Barcelona, located in the Eixample Dreta is a relly nice one.