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As a result of its coastal
position the local cooking in this area is centred around fish. The most
typical dish from Tarragona is "el romesco" sauce. The excellent olive
oil from El Camp and the locally grown peppers, as well as the secret ingredient
handed down from generation to generation of fishermen, are the essential
components of this sauce. It can be found in the area of El Camp de Tarragona
and the Prades mountains. Other typical dishes include fish soup, "el rossejat",
"la musola", tunny fish, "los suquets" (spiced with saffron and paprika),
octopus with potatoes and garlic, the springtime delicacy known as "chanquete"
omelette (made of small, succulent fish), mussels in a garlic sauce, "las
telinas" and "la calçotada". This last dish is made using "calçots",
a kind of soft, sweet, white onion which, when grilled, is good enough
to satisfy the most discerning palate. The traditional menu for a "calçotada"
consists of grilled "calçots" with an original sauce called "salvitxada",
lamb and grilled long pork sausage with a garlic sauce and typical local
bread, red wine, oranges, sweet dishes or a kind of custard, sparkling
wine, coffee and liqueurs. The usual time of the year for a "calçotada"
is during the winter, from December to March.
Tarragona boasts some of
the best desserts in all Catalonia. These include "pastissets" from Tortosa,
"el menjar blanc" (curdled almond milk) from Reus, and "nerol" and "joies"
from L'Espluga de Francolí which also come in the varieties known
as "carquinyols" and "rifaclis",
There are many wine-producing
areas within Tarragona including El Priorat, La Terra Alta, La Ribera d'Ebre,
La Conca de Barberá, El Camp de Tarragona and the Baix Penedés.
The total yearly production is of the order of over 1,500,000 hectolitres,
ranging from table wines to dessert wines, and including reds, whites and
rosés, The controlling bodies (Denominación de Origen) of
"Tarragona" and "Priorat" ensure the quality and high standard of these
wines. |
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