An aspect about Barcelona that I have come to love are the markets here. There are different food markets, flea markets, and vintage markets. One of the most famous markets in Barcelona is the Mercat de Sant Josep de la Boqueria.
What is La Boqueria?
La Boqueria is centrally located in Barcelona. It is just off the crowded street, Las Ramblas. Food markets such as La Boqueria create an environment to provide local, inexpensive produce and groceries to Barcelona inhabitants. In recent decades tourism has increased. The market has shifted partially to accommodate tourists. La Boqueria offers more grab and go snacks, and sample plates. This allows visitors to try a taste of Barcelona. These stalls are towards the front of the market closest to Las Ramblas. More produce, meat, and fish stalls are towards the back of the market.
My program, IES, requires field excursions for most classes. For two of my classes, I got to visit La Boqueria. I enjoyed going to La Boqueria with my classes. For my Language, Culture, and Communication excursion, my classmates and I had the task to create different meals using ingredients from La Boqueria with a certain budget. This activity gave me a better perspective of what it is like to purchase groceries there and create something.
What is at La Boqueria?
La Boqueria has an array of cheeses, meats, spices, produce, and more. The produce, meats, and fish are reasonably priced. One of my professors showed us a stall that sells the scraps of animals at discounted prices. My professor explained that this is a popular thing to see in Barcelona. It is popular because buying the inexpensive cuts of meat can help feed larger families for less money. These are also good ingredients to make soup as they have high nutritional value. There are many options at La Boqueria.
I enjoyed seeing both sides of the market. There is a very populated tourist area full of tasting cups of jamon and manchego along with small fruit juices to go. Or, you can buy all of your groceries for the week towards the back of the market. La Boqueria is a major part of Barcelona and it was very interesting to see.
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