La Boqueria, An Experience Of The Senses
Even if you are in Barcelona for a few days, don’t miss out on visiting this incredible market, says TEHEZEEB MOITRA After a few weeks of tapas bars, ready to eat pasta, microwave food and several agitated conversations with my mother in India I decided that enough was enough. There was no question about it,  if I was to live in Barcelona I could not continue subsisting on my current diet. My courageous decision to begin experimenting with cooking was greeted with a flurry of both amusement and advice from my colleagues at work who knew all about my quick fix meals. I can say without a doubt that the best advice given to me was by a co-worker who said, quite matter of factly at that, no entiendo por qué estás tan preocupada, vives a lado de La Boqueria which roughly translates from the Spanish to, "I don't understand why you are so worried, you live right next to the Boqueria". As it would turn out, this particular counsel proved to be the turning point of my gastromic disasters, and cooking as I knew it was never to be the same again! Mercat de Sant Josep, or more popularly La Boqueria is a roofed, outdoor market, open during the week, Monday through Saturday from eight am to eight pm. It is located about half way up La Rambla, one of the most busy, touristy and commercial streets in central Barcelona. One of the most distinctive features of this emblematic market is that its ambience mirrors the eclectic nature of the city it inhabits. One is presented with a vivid conglomeration of colours, smells, textures and tastes, offering a complete experience of the senses. This fresh food market boasts of produce like meats, seafood, chocolates, sweets, pastries, cheese, wine, bread, olive oil and much, much more! Everything is a riot of colours, with fruits piling high atop each other forming little pyramids of startling yellows, bright oranges and deep reds. I was once told that before the food has entered the mouth one has already begun eating with ones eyes, and how true that saying is.  The vast array of foodstuff is presented to be so appealing to the visual sense that one tastes the sweetness of the papaya before it has even touched the palate.
Choosing to shop at La Boqueria means choosing to shop for an experience that goes beyond the buying of food. Shopping assumes an almost ritualistic nature, where one seeks, finds, stops to chat, then perhaps has a café con leche (coffee with milk) along the way and then seeks to find some more! Spirited and often long winded conversations with local vendors range from discussions about the freshness of the product and its suitability for the preparation of your novice experimentations (as was my case) to that days weather conditions. I remember having equally animated conversations with my favourite fruit seller about the merits of tropical fruit and the absolute science behind the afternoon siesta! The warmth of these interactions beat the off-the-counter coldness of Understanding the intricate lay out of La Boqueria is an art, in fact it is interesting to note that for certain foods the prices are some of the highest in Barcelona. I soon learnt that the eye catching, photogenic fruit displays at the entrance of the market easily ensnare passing tourist but it is the locals who boldly venture into the labyrinth of the market. (As a side note, I must admit that I have been known to on occasion buy the overpriced mango juices from front entrance counters when I needed a taste of home!) It is in this deep inner belly of La Boqueria
Whether you are stopping by Barcelona for a few days or setting up camp there for a few months do not miss out on visiting this truly incredible market. As for me, I am a total Boqueria junkie and can never look at frozen fish sticks and chicken nuggets again! |
commercial supermarket shopping and one often leaves the Boqueria not just laden with bags of fruit and vegetable but with tons of tips, suggestions, advice and information as well!
that the real treasures are to be found. Faithful to my Bengali roots, my favourite part of La Boqueria is the seafood section. It is a large circular arrangement located in the heart of the market. Needless to say this spot is not for the faint of heart and the pungent odour of fish really attacks your nostrils! This smelly fish paradise was soon to become my favourite haunt as I began experimenting, or better said, attempting to imitate, my mother's famous Machher Jhol. This particularly overambitious endeavour was greeted with much excitement and enthusiasm from my housemates who were all too ready to taste the exotic food I was so used to.
One of the most ingenious additions to La Boqueria is a little family run bar strategically placed inside the market, perfect for the odd mid-day snack or café solo! It is worthwhile to note that the word 'Bar' in Spain actually means something quite different from the popular conception of the word. It is a place that you can sit down (or stand up depending on the availability of seats) to have a pretty decent meal/snack/coffee at any given time during the day. The food here is delicious and easy on the wallet. I would especially recommend the Bocadillos (Spanish sandwiches in roll bread), the seafood tapas and of course the (in)famous Sangria! 
As the frequency of my little sojourns to La Boqueria grew, so did my discoveries. I found La Boqueria to be a haven of the unexpected, for this proved to be the only place that I could find spices not offered by the sterile supermarkets of my past days. I distinctly remember the little stall almost hidden from view, filled with large glass jars containing tej patta (Bay leaf), imli (tamarind), jeera (cumin seeds) and lavang (clove), spices bearing within them smells of my country and home. It was findings like this that kept me coming back for more, never knowing what I would chance upon next. 
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