Sitting around a marble table in an authentic, family-run 1920s delicatessen in Barcelona’s Eixample neighborhood, among hanging hams, select preserves, colorful tins of seafood, and bottles of wines, you will sample a range of delicacies from the country’s most legendary producers. Famous dry-cured jamón ibérico de bellota and other cured pork products such as chorizo, llangonisa, and Mallorcan sobrasada. Different types of cheeses—fresh and old, goat and sheep. A variety of olives, tinned seafood, even preserved white asparagus so good that King Juan Carlos famously blurted out when tasting, “Cojonudos!” That might be a slightly vulgar way of saying “great”—especially from royalty!—but an authentic sentiment for such a sublime product.
With tasting comes learning and appreciation. For instance, you will not only sample a selection of top Spanish olive oils, but find out how they were produced and what makes each type unique. As well, you will learn how to appreciate, select, and best-use olive for yourself.
You will get an expert’s take on the products as well as an insider’s view of their role in the culture. In Spain, food and culture are so closely linked that to talk about one is to talk about the other.
So taste, learn, and enjoy. For these products are the true Michelin stars of Spanish gastronomy.