A Taste of Barcelona: The History of Catalan Cooking and Eating

This deep dive into Catalan cuisine aims to provide a culinary history of the region and its largest metropolis, Barcelona, that isn’t typically found in guidebooks. Authors Song, a Spanish professor at Bryn Mawr, and Riera, who teaches food studies at Barcelona’s Abat Oliba University, start with some of the biggest names that put Barcelona on the map as “a gateway to a revolutionary culinary world”—particularly chef Ferran Adrià of El Bulli, known for pioneering molecular gastronomy (with dishes like “spherical melon caviar” and “exploding olives”). The authors track how the region’s distinctive cuisine and dining culture evolved through political takeovers and uprisings from the Middle Ages to the present, often “adapting foreign dishes to local tastes” (such as the tomato, which was brought from Cuba in the 18th century). The book concludes with a chapter of recipes for classic “building blocks of Catalan cooking” such as allioli (a sauce of garlic and oil) made in a mortar, and sofregit, a “jam-like” base for many dishes made of “diced onion, slowly cooked until caramelized.” This food biography will satisfy foodies and travel lovers looking to learn more about Catalonia’s culinary and cultural identity. (Aug.)