“And jamón ibérico?”
A bemused look, a shake of the head and the discussion changes tack. Such has been the outcome of many a conversation I’ve had since moving to Barcelona last summer.
The Catalans, I have to conclude, don’t really get vegetarianism. They’re not against it, as such; rather the subject tends not to trouble their thoughts, until faced with an odd foreigner who’s not tucking into the fuel they’ve so diligently chopped for the table.
They may then feel a certain sad bewilderment at the whole state of affairs, as if they personally feel sorry for the pig whose tastiest cuts are being ignored. But it’s unlikely to overly trouble them as they tuck into their own meaty dinner later that night
It’s not that the UK, where I come from, is overrun by vegetarians: a 2009 survey found that just 3% of the British population is “completely vegetarian”, with an additional 5% describing themselves as “partly vegetarian”.
That’s not a particularly high percentage but vegetarianism undoubtedly has more of a high profile in the UK than over here. For example, in Britain you generally wouldn’t invite someone to dinner without asking if they eat meat, while almost all restaurants will have a vegetarian option on their menu. The same cannot be said for Barcelona.
Why this might be is less clear. People have mentioned the influence of the hardships and hunger of the post-War years, when meat was a privilege to be eaten rarely, as a key factor in Catalan thinking. But then Britain had its own period of rationing during and after the Second World War which, while almost certainly not as extreme as the hunger suffered in Catalonia and Spain, clearly marked the nation’s psyche.
Possibly the most likely explanation I’ve heard for the lack of vegetarianism is cultural: food is indelibly linked to the local culture, the argument goes, while meat is eternally linked to food.
In this way meat dishes – and in particular local specialities like pollastre lamb escamarlans, ànec amb peres and peus de porc – are an important part of the Catalan cultural legacy. To eschew them, then, is to turn your back on the heritage of which Catalans are so justifiably proud.
Britain, of course, has its own culinary traditions, many of which involve meat. But these are nowhere near as ingrained in British culture as Catalan dishes are here. It’s hard to imagine, for example, the Catalans embracing chicken tikka masala as a national dish as the British have done so enthusiastically over the past 30 years.
Meat being so closely linked with food in the Catalan mind also means that many locals feel a “proper” meal just isn’t complete without some element of meat to set it off. And, with food invariably related to feelings of parental love in households throughout the world, a lack of meat at the table may trigger feelings of neglect and pity in the average Catalan.
As a result, I’ve seen some truly heart-breaking looks as Catalan friends and family set down a vegetarian dish, which clearly doesn’t constitute a proper meal for them, for me to eat. It’s as if they’ve failed in the particularly Catalan game of feeding a foreigner to make them feel at home, no matter what I might say to persuade them.
The irony is that the vegetarian dishes they serve are inevitably excellent. In my nine months in Catalonia I’ve enjoyed fluffy potatoes from people’s gardens twinned with eggs from their hens; I’ve had clever and brilliantly executed salads; I’ve had variations on tortilla to make you cry with pleasure; and I’ve had smoky escalivada straight from the fire.
The same is true in restaurants and even the local bars. Of course, cutting out meat and fish does mean a rather limited choice sometimes – menús del día are often a casualty – but it’s hard to argue with a good plate of patatas bravas, a tapa of pimientos de Padrón or the ever popular aubergine chips with cheese and honey.
Naturally, there is a skill in cooking these dishes. But their success is also down to the excellence of the local ingredients. Catalonia is full of superb – and relatively cheap – fruit and vegetables, often sold in local markets. And this makes vegetarianism very easy to follow here, so long as you pay attention in restaurants.
You won’t be able to partake in jamón ibérico. But when you’ve tried a plate full of delicious, burly rovellon mushrooms, cooked with garlic and parsley, you may be a little less inclined to miss it.
Por: Ben Cardew | 04 de mayo de 2012
Escalivada
(Roasted eggplant, onion, and pepper with olive oil)Catalonians eat this dish as a first course or as an accompaniment to meats.
The special characteristic of these roasted vegetables is their smoky flavor, since orthodoxy demands roasting them over embers (the Catalan word escalivar means 'to roast over ashes or embers').
Ingredients
- 4 small eggplants
- 4 spring onions or large scallions
- 4 red bell peppers
- 2 tomatoes
- Extra virgin olive oil for brushing, plus 1/3 cup
- 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- Salt
Preparation
Prepare a hot fire in a charcoal grill, or preheat the oven to 500ºF.Brush the eggplants, onions, bell peppers, and tomatoes with olive oil.
If using a grill, place the vegetables directly over the fire and grill, turning frequently, for 15 to 30 minutes, or until the skins blacken and the vegetables are tender.
The variation in timing depends on the heat of the fire, and some vegetables, such as the tomatoes, may be ready before the others.
If using an oven, arrange the vegetables on a rimmed baking sheet or in a roasting pan and roast, turning every 10 minutes, for 30 minutes, or until the skins blacken and the vegetables are tender. Remove the vegetables from the grill or oven, wrap in newspapers, slip into one or more plastic bags, and let cool for about 1 hour.
Unwrap the vegetables. Peel the eggplants, peppers, and tomatoes, and peel away the outer layer of the onions.
Split the bell peppers in half, discard the seeds and stems, and cut lengthwise into strips about 1 1/2 inches wide.
Transfer to a bowl.
Trim the stems from the eggplants and core the tomatoes, and then cut them into strips of the same size as the pepper strips and add to the bowl.
Trim the onions, cut into rings, and add to the bowl along with the garlic.
Add the 1/3 cup olive oil, season with salt, and toss to mix well. Serve at room temperature.
Serves 4
