The Costa Brava is not only known for its beaches. Its products and gastronomy are recognized worldwide for their quality and flavour.
Anchovies from l’Escala, prawns from Palamós, rice from Pals, olive oil from Empordà or Wine from Empordà are just some examples of all you can find in this area of the Catalan coast.
If you are a foodie and you have never heard about the traditional products of the Costa Brava, keep reading because you will love this post.
The anchovies from l'Escala ("anxoves de l'Escala" in Catalan) are anchovies prepared in salting, it can be eaten as an appetizer or add it as a condiment in salads.
This name is because in the town of l’Escala (in Alt Empordà) there are some companies dedicated to preserve this fish, a technique introduced by the Greek colonies and perfected by the romans people.
Our recommendation for their preparation is to remove the fishbones and wash them with water to remove the excess of salt until to have the fillets, season them with virgin olive oil and accompanied with bread.
The Palamós prawn is a prestigious product recognized throughout the world. Although these crustaceans have traditionally been fished in the coastal and fishing Costa Brava villages, those fished between Palamós and Calonge stand out above the rest.
The Palamós prawn has a reddish colour, with a slightly sweeter flavour different from those that we can find in other places. Its colour and taste is because the animal is feed based on algae and minerals from the Mediterranean.
If you want to try this delicious product, we recommend you lightly cooked on the grill with a little salt, pepper, and olive oil.
The high quality of the rice from Pals is greatly, because of the Empordà climate, which favour a slower maturation and the freshwater confluence of the Ter River and the Mediterranean Sea.
The best-known varieties of this rice grown in the small town of Pals (in Baix Empordà) are bahía, bomba, carnaroli and nembo.
It is an ideal rice to cook in casseroles, as the rice does not paste and is not overcooked, although it can also be made with broth.
The garoines or garotes is the name given to sea urchins in Catalonia. Inside, this animal covered with spikes hides a juicy and soft meat with a powerful marine flavour that will not leave you indifferent.
The fishing of these mollusks is highly controlled and can only be sell by professional shellfishmen. Fortunately, they can also be found canned in specialty stores.
There are many ways to consume them, the traditional way is eated raw, seasoned with lemon, although they can also be cooked. Of course, they have to be cleaned very well because they can have remains of sand from the sea.
The Figueras onion (in Catalan, "ceba de Figueres") is a variety of onion that can be easily recognized because it has a purple outer layer and a slightly flattened shape. It is highly appreciated for its sweet flavour without itching and its soft as crunchy texture.
Our advice for its preparation is not to cut it with kitchen tools, but to hit it to crush it and separate the pieces by hand. We recommend eating it raw in a salad with a little virgin olive oil or roasting it.
The sweet sausage is made with raw lean pork meat, sugar, lemon peel, salt and optionally cinnamon. It has a very shiny pink colour when is raw and a grayish-pink colour when is ready to dry.
In the past it was made during the slaughter of the pig in the Empordà farmhouses, but currently it is an artisan product that is made throughout the year.
There are many ways to cook the sweet sausage, in the casserole, in the pan, in the oven or on the grill. It is used to be accompany with caramelized bread toasts or with apple.
Rag cottage cheese (or “recuit de drap” in Catalan) is a type of fresh, drained soft cheese made from sheep's milk, goat's milk, or a mixture of both.
It is bright white, its texture is soft and creamy and its flavour is fresh and sweet. It has the name of "rag" cottage cheese because during its production it is wrapped with a cellulose rag so let it settle.
It is usually eaten as a dessert accompanied by honey or sugar.
The Empordà is an area with a long tradition in the oil production, which dates back to the Greeks arrival in the peninsula and the cultivation of olive trees.
The olive oil of the Protected Designation of Origin (DOP) Empordà oil is made with varieties native olives, such as argudell, corivell or verdal.
These olive varieties give rise to pure new virgin olive oils with a clear, clean and transparent appearance. Its taste is very tasty, aromatic and pleasant on the palate.
This oil is perfect to dress all kinds of dishes or simply to accompany a slice of bread
Empuries, in the Empordà area, is considered the gateway from where the Greeks introduced the vineyard grow to the peninsula. Years later, in this area they have achieve to produce a world-renowned high-quality wine.
The Denomination of Origin (DO) Empordà is made up of some forty wineries with vineyards distributed between Alt and Baix Empordà. The vineyards are located between 200 meters of altitude and the sea level, taking advantage of the warm and humid Mediterranean climate, cooled by the tramontana (north wind).
Among the DO Empordà wines we find rosé, fruity and fresh wines, although the Garnacha wine stands out especially, made with a minimum of 90% Garnacha, allowing the grapes to dry on the straw before pressing them.
El cremat (burnt rum) (or “rom cremat”) is an alcoholic drink made with rum, coffee, sugar, lemon peel and cinnamon, is served hot. All the ingredients are put together in a saucepan and lit for about ten minutes, so it loses some of the alcohol.
It is not an easy drink to find, but it is widely consumed in the town of Calella de Palafrugell, especially during the habaneras singing in summer.
If after reading this post you feel like you want to know more, we leave you this post about the traditional dishes of Catalonia and Spain.
If you feel like to try these products and some of the dishes made with them, do not worry because at Rosamar Hotels you have the perfect chance to do it.
Theme nights are back at the Rosamar & Spa, Rosamar Es Blau and Rosamar Garden Resort hotels, where you can taste all kinds of international and local food.
On Monday, you can enjoy American food; on Tuesday Asian food; on Wednesday is time for Tex-Mex food; on Thursday, you can try the traditional food of the Costa Brava; on Friday you will find Italian food, and on Saturday you can taste delicious Spanish tapas.
In addition, on Tuesdays from 9:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. you can enjoy the gintonics night, with gintonics at 6€ on the terrace of the Hotel Es Blau.
Don't think twice and come to Rosamar Hotels!