Christmas period is time for enjoying plentiful meals with family and friends. The most important dinner is eaten on 26th of December.
Traditional Catalan Christmas dishes
Escudella i Carn d’olla and Galets
This is a traditional soup made during the Christmas period. It is often eaten as a starter. Escudella i Carn d’Olla is made of a large piece of meat being cooked for hours, to ensure it is thick and good for a soup. When the meat is ready, it is removed from the soup and replaced with Gallets. Gallets are snail-shell shaped pasta.
The meat which was cooked with the pasta is later been eaten as a main dish. Most Spanish households enjoy it with various tapas dishes.
Here you can see the recipe for Escudella i Carn d’olla.
Turrón
Turrón is a traditional sweet made of nougat. You can buy it from almost everywhere in Barcelona. The most popular taste variation during the Christmas period is made of nougat and almonds, but you will find many other delicious variations also.
If you want to enjoy homemade Turróns, check out this recipe.
El Pa de Nadal
The Christmas bread of Catalonia is called El Pa de Nadal. You can buy it almost everywhere in Barcelona, and enjoy it with the Christmas dinner.
Catalan New Years traditions
It is common to eat lentils for lunch on New Years’ Eve. Every lentil is representing a coin, and it is said that eating them brings good luck and wealth for the coming year.
When it is almost midnight and the clock chimes twelve times, it is a tradition to eat twelve grapes. One grape should be eaten on every each chime. This is surprisingly difficult! It is said that if you can eat all the twelve grapes on time, it brings you good luck for the coming year.
Three Kings Day
El Roscón de Reyes is always served on the Three Kings Day. It is a ring-shaped cake, and inside the cake are traditionally baked two family-activity objects: a dry green bean and a figure of a king. When the cake is served, everyone checks their pieces. The one who got the king figure can use a crown for the evening, and the one with the bean have to pay the dinner.
You will find the recipe for the El Roscón de Reyes here.
Restaurants
Not all restaurants in Barcelona are open on 24th, 25th, or 26th of December. It is recommended to contact the restaurant earlier, and ask for the Christmas opening times. It is also recommended to do a table reservation couple of weeks in advance – and to get ready for higher prices.
Here you can find some restaurants in Barcelona with a Christmas menu.
