Whenever I travel to a new city one of the first things I make sure to do is check out the fresh markets. Whether it is the Farmers Market in Nashville or Pikes Place in Seattle, fresh markets are a great way to truly experience a city. All the fruits, vegetables, meats and even flowers are the freshest they could possibly be. So in Barcelona I made sure I stopped at Mercat La Boqueria.
I got there pretty early in the morning so I could avoid huge crowds. It was still fairly busy. Many of the local chefs shop there to get fresh ingredients for their restaurants. I also noticed several little old ladies shopping which I could only assume they were there to plan the dinner they would be making their lucky families.
I was completely overwhelmed. I did not even know where to start. There were butchers everywhere. They had everything from fresh steaks to thinly sliced jamon (ham) that they served up in paper cones that you could munch on as you walked the market.
The fresh seafood was abundant. There were several fish I recognized and many I did not.
If you need to satisfy your sweet tooth, they had everything from fresh made gelato to handmade candies that looked like food.
If you were craving an empanada, I found a stand that had several to choose from. This was their specialty.
What I was excited for was all the fresh fruit. That is what I wanted for my breakfast. There were so many stands to choose from. For the most part they were all priced the same. It really came down to who offered the fruit I wanted.
I got a cup of fruit that was fresh mango and papaya. Plus they offered a variety of fresh squeezed juices, so I tried the strawberry/pineapple.
The fruit was fantastic. Each piece was extremely juicy. The natural sweetness from both the mango and papaya jumped forward. The flavors were extremely memorable both on my taste buds and through my sense of smell.
The juice was amazing as well. The combination of strawberry and pineapple blended so perfectly together. It was smooth in texture and went down very easy. The strawberry shined through; the pineapple was kind of hidden. The best part was this juice was a bargain at 1.50€.
Now I spent the rest of the day exploring Barcelona. Later in the evening I stopped back by the market. I wanted to get another juice. I was not sure if there would be anything left since it was so late. But lucky for me there was plenty and they were on discount, only 1.00€ now.
I could not pass up a bargain so I got two different juices combinations:
- Pineapple Coconut
- Mango Pineapple
The pineapple coconut juice was sweet and slightly creamy. It was a great blend. I was able to taste an equal amount of pineapple and coconut. When I closed my eyes the taste transported me to a tropical beach.
The mango pineapple was both sweet and tart; it all came from the pineapple. The mango only added slight texture.
The market was a fun experience. It was a great way to get immersed into life in Barcelona. It was great both day and night. Everyone visiting needs to make at least one stop.
Enjoy!
T
