This is What ‘Cuisine Diversity’ Really Means
Barcelona is the world capital of food choices. Prove me wrong.
A lot of cities talk big about the variety and ethnic diversity of their cuisine. Bloggers babble about “cultural crossroads” and “melting pots,” but in reality most big cities can’t compete with the choices and quality offered in the typical central Barcelona neighborhood.
I know, fighting words. But there are unique forces at play in Barcelona. The whole “crossroads” thing is real in the city. “Local” means Catalan, but the food scene is heavily influenced by the distinct cuisines of other Spanish regions, as well as nearby France. Moroccan and Eastern European inspirations are also baked into the mix, like most of Spain. And Barcelona is a port city, and touristy port cities often host a cultural stew. (OK, sorry for the cooking metaphors.)
Many cities may offer similar ethnic diversity, but the restaurants are separated into different barrios spread across the city. There’s a “Chinatown” or a “Little Italy” or a Greek neighborhood, but little cross pollination. In Barcelona, every type of food can pop up in any neighborhood. Walk around and you never know what you’ll find around the corner. In the heart of the city, everything from “fusion” restaurants led by boundary-testing chefs to fast-food Korean joints are always a short stroll away
On a recent visit to Barcelona, I stayed on Consell de Cent, a pedestrian street in the heart of Eixample, the central neighborhood. I was thinking food after recording a podcast with Brent Petersen for his site, Destination Eat Drink, and I began to explore.
Within a few blocks of my apartment, I found Greek, Indian, Moroccan, Chinese, Japanese, Italian and Argentinian restaurants. But that only scratched the surface, as I expanded the search into the surrounding blocks, where I discovered Malaysian, Mexican, Korean, Colombian, Filipino and Chinese hot pot restaurants, in addition to multiple hamburger joints and a shisha lounge.
There was probably a German place in the area, but I didn’t see one. I did notice an Iranian restaurant, but I didn’t feel it was a good idea to hang out in front taking pictures.
Of course, the ethnic restaurants were only a fraction of the choices. Like any Barcelona neighborhood, there were plenty of the local cafes that bring life and community to every block. I never saw a tourist in this place, where I hunkered down for the menu de dia, which included a first course of pasta with meat sauce, a nice piece of grilled salmon and a bread pudding for dessert, for about $16, including drink and coffee.
My neighborhood also featured the typical array of bakeries, butcher shops, vermouth bars, bodegas and wine shops. It was a residential area close to the university, which meant there were also several coffee bars, a “gluten-free lab,” a churro stand, takeaway kebab restaurants and an artisan cheesecake bakery…
… and one place specializing in corndogs.
In Barcelona, diversity isn’t simply about geographic hodgepodge. Beyond ethnic and cultural variety, the neighborhood presented a full range of pricing and quality levels, including several high-end restaurants catering to obsessed foodies.
A few blocks from my apartment I ran into the Michelin-starred Fishology, where customers can “immerse themselves in a unique experience focused on the marine environment.” The restaurant’s chefs “study and develop ancestral preservation techniques (maturations, curing, sausages, smoking, preserves and salting),” and follow “ancestral techniques from the times of the Greeks and Romans,” to create aromatic artisanal vermouth.
I wasn’t in the mood for an immersive aquatic experience, but this fast-food Chinese place where I could get a €6.90 pork roujiamo, a form of Chinese hamburger, definitely caught my eye.
In a down-and-dirty, what-are-we-having-for-dinner sense, that’s what real cultural diversity means. There is an equation developed by your brain and stomach that is only satisfied by the ability to find something interesting to eat within easy walking distance. That is the promise of a great food city, where affordable street food and innovative, food art can live together.
Barcelona presents a high bar. Although, for the record, there is one thing you won’t find in a typical Barcelona neighborhood: American food chains. And their absence is one of the best parts about the city.