Post Credit to : Chaim Szmidt of Kosherscene Blog.
The rich cuisine of Spain shows many influences ranging from Arabic, to French, to Judeo adaptations and more; as in other European countries, however, cookery varies by region.
Considered by many as the finest, most complex, most sophisticated cuisine in Spain, the Catalonia menu offers a fusion of Mediterranean and French cooking, while showing less Moorish influences than other Spanish regions. There are still, however, Arabic overtones found in many regional dishes here such as sugar, aubergines, and saffron.
Catalans are known for mixing savory with sweet, sweet with sour and meat with fruits. Raisins and pine nuts are popular garnishes, wine and brandy are common ingredients and so is chocolate. Catalans describe their classic dishes as barroco e sabroso – baroque and tasty.
Many a dish begins with sofregit, a sauce of fried onions, garlic and a bit of tomato. Picada, made with garlic, parsley and hazelnut sauce, is ofttimes added at the end of cooking to thicken the dish. Romesco is a finely ground mixture of tomatoes, red bell peppers, onion, garlic, almonds or hazelnuts and olive oil, it is the classic Catalan sauce that accompanies most dishes. Allioli, is a garlicky olive oil sauce; the frutado, a fruitier oil made with olives has a hint of apple and a slightly bitter almond flavor; the dulce, made with ripe black olives is yellow, sweet, and mild. The rich tapestry of Catalonia’s cuisine is sure to tickle even the most sophisticated palate.
Chef Sara Black, an internationally acclaimed dynamic young Israeli Kosher Chef who has cooked around the world, from the US, through Europe, to Asia, will prepare with the most delectable and seasonal local dishes to please even the most discriminating gastronome.
You can reserve a spot for our week-long Spain kosher trip in a Catalan Castle or visit the Kosher Barcelona Restaurant for a meal or more.
With a rich Jewish history in Barcelona and Girona, with superb vistas including the visionary architecture of Antonio Gaudì (Sagrada Familia, Casa Batlló, etc., etc.), and the incredible vistas combining the most modern and sophisticated with the majesty of medieval Spain; with a trip to Andorra whose tax-haven status in the Pyrenees Mountains encourage tax-free shopping, this kosher Spain tour is bound to never be forgotten whether for its culinary delights, or its superb combination of the old and the contemporary, the living past and the living present.
