BS Ocho - Food, Glorious Food (La Boqueria - Barcelona)

Member Name: jeffersons

Product:	La Boqueria - Barcelona
Date:	26/07/01 (134 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: In the immortal words of Homer Simpson: "Food..."

Disadvantages: Language barrier, Petty crime

It's times like this when I wish Dooyoo would introduce a scratch-and-sniff feature on the site! The "Mercat de Sant Josep", known more commonly and succinctly as the "Boqueria", is a true gastronomic paradise - perfect for the hungry, greedy, or just the plain curious!

As one wanders down La Rambla, one reaches the section appropriately named "Rambla de les Flors" for the beautiful flower stalls lining the street. Here, opposite the Museum of Erotica and beside the Liceu Metro station (L3 Green), the gentle fragrances of daffodils and roses mingle with the fresh aromas wafting out from the Boqueria.

Although Barcelona is blessed with numerous food markets, at least one in each district, the Boqueria has acquired a reputation over the years as the city's finest. The arcaded square, covered by a massive roof of iron and glass, is around a century old and elegantly contructed, though this is certainly not a major consideration once inside!

Dozens upon dozens of colourful stalls, selling meat, fish and vegetables. Talkative, pleasant shop assistants, hollering news of the latest and freshest offerings. Bars providing refreshments, because one can really lose track of time there in the hustle and bustle! The ultimate tribute to the quality and range of produce on show is the multitude of restaurant owners who flock daily to the market from all over the city. The Boqueria is particularly strong on fish and sausages, but one can find anything here. However, the skinned rabbits, sheep brains and 'cojones' (testicles *cough*) are most definitely not for the squeamish!

The Boqueria is surprisingly untouristy, considering its supreme cleanliness and neatly arranged stalls. It's undoubtedly the cleanest market I've been to - no puddles of blood to skate around, no bug infestations - so they must be doing something right! It's a great help to be a Spanish speaker here, as the labels ar
e in Catalan and the stallholders are not fully conversant in English; otherwise you could be left trying to distinguish Serrano from Iberico by sight!

Shopping around for bargains is imperative and rather entertaining, given the huge number of stalls present. If you're really desperate, the surrounding area is home to plenty of excellent food stores as well, such as the Casa Guinart where saffron, turrón and absinthe were all very reasonably priced.

The market is open from 8 AM to 8.30 PM, and the Bar Pinocho is a highly recommended refuelling venue; we unfortunately did not visit. It's worth pointing out here that tapas are not part of the Catalan culinary tradition, contrary to popular belief. For authenticity, seafood is the keyword. Moreover, the traditional crema Catalan dessert pudding is not to be missed!

By now, you must be wondering how much the Boqueria management is paying me to write this review! For a superb food market with an unparalleled, appealing atmosphere, look no further than the Boqueria on La Rambla de les Flors.


NB. This is the 8th instalment of my BS series. For the introduction, please kindly turn to "BS Uno - The Odyssey Begins"; general information on Barcelona is scattered throughout the series. Thanks for reading!

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