TRAVEL GUIDES DIRECTORY: COSTA BRAVA SPAIN

GASTRONOMY

There is one thing you should never pass up: the bounty of Costa Brava s restaurants offering mar i muntanya (sea and mountain) cuisine, a sublime blend of the catch of the sea with the meats and vegetables of the mountains and plains. Specialties like the suquet de peix (fish stew), cuttlefish and peas, chicken with crayfish, meatballs with prawns, or rice casserole will definitely satisfy your tongue´s craving.

Catalan cooking of the Costa Brava and the Pyrenees has a strong accent, even in restaurants -- an historic and cultured style of cookery, more than a century old!

Catalonia is a perfect mélange of the valley, the mountains and the coast. Such a blessed geographical position lends the place its cuisine, known for combined fresh vegetables with olive oil and sumptuous meat like the beef of Girona (an origin denomination), and of course, all sorts of fish and seafood right off the sea.

Typically Mediterranean, their dishes are well-known for the variety of products that Catalans use, all to make it not only satisfying to the stomach but to the body s well-being as well.

A tasty sample of Catalan s best is the following dishes: "arroz negro" (rice made with squid's ink), "escudella" (typical soup), "suquet" (fish with potatoes) and as a dessert "crema catalana." Very classic of Catalonia is also the "pa amb tomata" (bread with tomato), together with different sorts of sausages. The "pa amb tomata" actually entails the spreading of tomato juice on the bread with some olive oil and salt.

Another distinction of Catalan food is four, delicate tasting, original sauces that are served with many dishes: "sofrito", "picada," "samfaina", and "allioli". "Sofrito" is a typical Spanish sauce made with garlic, onion, tomato and parsley. "Picada" is prepared with garlic, parsley, burnt almonds and nuts all crushed to produce a flavorsome mix. "Samfaina is a tasty mixture of tomatoes, peppers, and aubergines lightly fried. Finally, "Allioli" is a sauce made of garlic and olive oil that is typically served with meat and fish dishes. This delicious sauce dates back to the Roman period.

Amidst this perfect blend of delightful dishes, one can be easily confused as to where to go and what to eat. Thus, many a gastronomic campaigns happen regularly in Costa Brava, aiming to inform people about the most select of Catalan products. Here are some that are truly tried and tested: the prawn menu in Palam the famous anchovy of l'Escala, the blue fish and cod Cuisine, in Sant Feliu de Guíxols and the "garoinada" (sea urchins) in Palafrugell.

Since Catalan dining simply cannot be completely described in a paragraph, the following is a listing of choice restaurants that are favorites of tourist from all over the world. Their dishes are served only in the regions of this bountiful rugged coast. Have your pick!

For more information on Costa Brava Spain please visit Costabravaspain.info, offering the most complete information about Costa Brava Spain.