Archive for 'Products & Specialities in Spain'

When you approach La Boqueria, you are likely to be immediately faced with dauntingly large crowds but try not to let that put you off. There is a reason for those crowds and there is ample reason to join them yourself. Just find a vacation rental in Barcelona and make your way over for some history, culture and great food in Spain.

La Boqueria, or Mercat de Sant Josep de la Boqueria, is a large historic public market in the Ciudad Vieja district of Barcelona and is one of the city's most famous landmarks. Records show that there was a market by the name of Boqueria in the city since at least 1217, when it was noted that tables were installed near the old city gate to sell meat. After this it was a pig market for centuries and then a straw market. Then, in 1840, now with official and legal recognition, an official and permanent structure of the market was built on La Rambla under the direction of the architect Mas Vilá.

If you have found a vacation rental in Andalusia and are spending time in the region this summer, you may find yourself battling with the heat. Staying in during the hottest part of the day, keeping to shade where possible, wearing hats and airy clothing and staying hydrated all help, of course, but eating cool, light foods also combats the heat. Don't just wait for dessert and ice-cream, why not enjoy a cool Gazpacho as a snack?!

Gazpacho as a dish has rather ancient roots and there are quite a number of theories of its origin, though most seem to trace it back to the arrival of the Roman. Once in Spain, it became a part of Andalusian cuisine, particularly connected to Córdoba and Seville. Early recipes combined stale bread, garlic, olive oil, salt, and vinegar, similar to ajoblanco, and, during the 19th century, the red gazpacho we know was born with the addition of tomatoes. It is this version that most of us are familiar with, though there are endless modern variations of gazpacho today.