© Richard HuangBarcelona has a remarkable boulevard called La Rambla (Las Ramblas). A broad pedestrian promenade runs down the middle, lined with newsstands, flower stalls, souvenir shops, and other kiosks; only beyond these are the narrow one-way traffic lanes. Tall London plane trees rise on either side, their leaves casting shifting patterns of shade. Palaces, churches, theatres, museums, and all manner of other buildings stand along the way. Human statues remain perfectly still amid the crowds, drawing the attention of tourists. The stream of people, meanwhile, seems to flow endlessly in one direction: towards La Boqueria Market (Mercat de la Boqueria).
© Richard HuangLa Boqueria has long been famous. CNN once named it one of the world’s ten best markets, and it appears in virtually every Barcelona travel guide. It has been described as Europe’s largest, best-stocked, and most popular food market, as well as Barcelona’s oldest and most authentic. The market is closed on Sundays and is open from 8:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. on other days. The best stalls are said to be in the centre and towards the back, away from most tourists, and the best time to visit is before two in the afternoon.
© Richard HuangAccording to the official website, documentary records show that an open-air market formed by meat stalls existed here as early as 1217. The present market was built in 1840 to a design by the architect Josep Mas i Vila. It supplied local residents with their everyday food; today, it is also a magnet for tourists eager to take photos and mark their visit. Shops specializing in Spanish ham flank the entrance.
© Richard HuangThe market’s shops and stalls sell an astonishing variety of goods—so much that it is hard to take everything in. The produce looks excellent, and the displays are equally inviting. Confronted with such colourful abundance and such meticulous presentation, online visitors often exclaim that every vendor here deserves to be called an artist. This stall sells dried fruit: raisins, dried apples, dried mangoes, and more.
© Richard HuangThis stall sells all kinds of chillies and culinary spices, from Sichuan peppercorns to Indian nutmeg.
© Richard HuangThis one specializes in dried fruits and nuts, with everything from Middle Eastern dates to specially roasted European almonds.
© Richard HuangWhen walking leaves you thirsty, a chilled glass of freshly squeezed juice is refreshing, thirst-quenching, and nutritious.
© Richard HuangLocal residents come here in search of good food, while tourists from around the world crowd the aisles. With a little luck, it is said, you might even spot one of the city’s leading chefs hunting for fresh ingredients. Ferran Adrià, ranked among the world’s top three Michelin chefs, also shops here regularly.
© Richard HuangAm I seeing this correctly—two euros for an empty shell? These are shells left behind after the contents have been eaten, used as props to attract tourists. The price is actually for a fresh, unopened shellfish.
© Richard HuangIn the seafood section, stalls are laden with fresh fish, prawns, and shellfish of every kind. Most of the live seafood is destined for local households and restaurants. Some vendors cater to tourists by frying up small fish, shrimp, and squid rings as snacks, or by opening oysters, sea urchins, and scallops on the spot. Hand over your money, and eat your seafood then and there.
© Richard HuangOne sea urchin costs four euros; two cost seven.
© Richard HuangThere are also shops selling fresh meat, sausages, cheese, and cured meats.
© Richard HuangA whole cured ham, hoof and bone intact, is one of Spain’s most delicious culinary specialties, so naturally there is no shortage of ham shops. The two main varieties, based on the raw ingredient, are Serrano ham (jamón serrano) and Iberian ham (jamón ibérico). Hams also come from either the front or hind legs. A front leg is called a paleta; it has less meat, which tends to be firmer. A hind leg is called a jamón; it contains more fat, has a richer flavour, and is correspondingly more expensive. Besides the breed of pig and its feed, the price depends on how long the ham has been cured. The longer it ages, the more fragrant it becomes—and the more it costs.
© Richard HuangNaturally, there are shops selling sweets, pastries, and chocolate as well. The dazzling array of chewy candies, lollipops, and fruit drops is a feast for the eyes, even if you do not indulge your sweet tooth.
© Richard HuangAfter leaving the market, you can keep shopping in the surrounding streets and lanes, where all kinds of gift shops sell souvenirs to take home.
© Richard HuangIf you are tired, there are plenty of bars and restaurants around the market in addition to the food counters inside, making it easy to stop for a beer or lunch.
Whenever we visit a city, we try to see its local food market. A market is a city in miniature, a place where you can breathe in the rhythms of local life most directly. As a German saying puts it: “Markets are the colourful islands of our cities, offering spaces for cultural encounters.” (Märkte sind die bunten Inseln unserer Städte und bieten Raum für kulturelle Begegnungen.)
Every city’s market has a character all its own—for instance, the San Pedro Marketin Cusco, Peru, or Toronto’s St. Lawrence Market and Kensington Market. Yet La Boqueria is truly one of a kind. Known as “the breadbasket of Europe,” it is unrivalled in its scale and appearance, the variety and presentation of its goods, and the quality of its food. All this is inseparable from Spain’s deep history and rich culinary culture. One online commenter wrote that only a market like this could be worthy of the land that gave rise to so many masters—Gaudí, Picasso, Dalí, Miró, and others. Perhaps that really is true…