A Tisket, A Tasket
I can’t stand going to the supermarket. The idea of stepping into a cavernous and generally cold (no matter how the chain tries to “church it up”) monstrosity of a warehouse-like building fills me with dread. This is despite the fact that my mother and both of my sisters worked in supermarkets for much of their adult lives. So during the COVID pandemic when we discovered that we could use the app for Fry’s or Safeway, place our orders in the comfort of our home and pick up groceries at our leisure, I was sold. Of course, the apps aren’t perfect and orders were screwed up from time to time such as when they substituted celery for leeks or claimed they had no bananas when there was full display of regular and organic ones in the store. I would have to still pop in to Whole Foods or Sprouts if Fry’s or Safeway didn’t have what we needed. It was usually a faster trip but still navigating the layout and the general nasty tone of all too many customers made these experiences less than pleasant.
Regardless of my ingrained disdain for food shopping (and shopping in general but that’s blog for another time) arriving in Barcelona, I looked forward to it. On our previous trip we explored La Boqueria and were fascinated by the lavish displays of produce and meats (Les was in awe of the selection of jamon available). We swore that we would be shopping here everyday. However, that’s not how things have developed.
Mercat de la Boqueria in the Raval neighborhood of Barcelona
Barcelona boasts nearly 40 markets (Ciolli). These are permanent structures that operate almost every day of the week, not the weekly farmer’s markets that operate on weekends in most metropolitan areas in the US. Unlike the farmer’s markets in the US, they sell mostly food items, rarely do you see any craftspeople or artists selling their wares from a booth. In addition, some markets have restaurants and bars inside or on the periphery. La Boqueria, is the largest of the markets (Ciolli) but not the most practical place to shop. Its size, location and notoriety make it one of Barcelona’s prime tourist attractions. Since moving here, we’ve only visited once and only because they were one of the few markets that were open after 3 PM. Otherwise, the closest market for us is the Mercat de Santa Caterina located in the heart of the El Born neighborhood. We’ve visited a few times. We’ve also checked out Mercat de Sant Antoni and the Mercat del Clot. They’re all fine places to find most anything you need for a recipe yet, to be honest, I do find the market shopping experience to be overwhelming, especially on Saturdays. By all indications, the markets we’ve been to do a booming business. With the exception of La Boqueria, most of the customers appear to be locals, mostly middle aged and older women. They seem to be carrying on the traditions of weekend meal preparations for friends and family. And they are definitely not push-overs. They are tough customers who know what they want and get what they want from the merchants. The willingness of the vendors to ensure they get what they need is probably what keeps them in business.
So if the market experience can be a bit much, what are the other options. Turns out, there are plenty. Growing up I remember our neighborhood and most neighborhoods in Philadelphia, having local businesses that catered to its inhabitants culinary needs i.e. the butcher, the baker, the deli, and the greengrocer. Those all seemed to fade away over time as supermarkets became more prevalent and provided one-stop shopping for busy housewives and later, working mothers (and more recently, dads). In our neighborhood we have wide variety of choices. Most of these shops are within a few blocks of our home and usually have more items available than we could ask for. Additionally, we’ve gotten to know some of the merchants because of our continued patronage. There’s Raquel, the fish monger (pescaderia) who will gladly scale and filet any fish we choose. Cristiano, the butcher (carniceria) is happy to get any cut of meat you need. He’s also taken a shine to our dog Farrah and makes sure to give her some tasty morsels whenever we bring her for a visit. Hugo, our go to greengrocer (fruteria y verduria) always stocks the best produce as well as other pantry essentials and spices. Not to be forgotten is Esther, the owner of the local pet supply shop who always has treats for Farrah. these are but a few of the local tiendas or shops that are part of our weekly routine.
Of course there are supermarkets. We have more than our share just a short walk from us. Supermarkets are a bit smaller in scale than those in the US, so they are a bit mor manageable. Nevertheless, like most other businesses in Barcelona, they are closed on Sundays. If you haven’t picked up your provisions for Sunday’s meal by Saturday, you might be S.O.L. We’ve found some convenience stores chains and individual markets. the small markets are usually owned by Turkish immigrants and can be a lifesaver in a pinch. They will usually carry a good selection of wine should you run out.
All in all, grocery shopping has proved to raise cultural awareness for both of us in Barcelona. It’s also allowed for us to make connections with some of the local business owners. This is an experience we didn’t have in the United States where grocery shopping was generally impersonal. There were a few exceptions such as at the Uptown Farmer’s Market in Phoenix but that was rare. I think this brings a personal touch to every meal we prepare, having forged connections with the food sellers.
References
Ciolli, Chris. “Here Are Barcelona’s Best Markets and Everything to Eat in Them” Eater, 26 October 2021, https://www.eater.com/22621306/barcelona-markets-guide-boqueria-where-to-eat.
