Updated 5/8/10 – 11:00 a.m.: Starting Grid for First 5 Rows (see below)
Updated 5/9/2010 8:14 a.m. Race Results (see below)
McLaren Team and Jenson Button © Ahamad Faiza Yahya
Results and thoughts on the last race, the Chinese Grand Prix
1st Place: Jenson Button. Won his second Formula 1 race of this season for McLaren Mercedes. Button was last year’s World Driver’s Champion and with this win now leads with 60 points for this year in World Driver’s Championship.
2nd Place: Lewis Hamilton. Button’s teammate for McLaren Mercedes, and another World Driver’s Champion, ties for 3rd place for the championship with Fernando Alonso for Ferrari with 49 points each.
3rd Place: Nico Rosberg. I mentioned in the last article that he was the driver to watch, now is in 2nd place for World Driver’s Championship with 50 points after this race.
With the 1-2 finish by McLaren Mercedes, they now lead the World Constructor’s Championship with 109 points. Also with this win, it is the first time in more than 44 races the team has had a 1-2 finish.
It was also a very good day for Great Britain as the team and both drivers are from there!
Before the race started, there was an engine failure of the Virgin-Cosworth driven by Timo Glock and never started the race. Then the race started with both Sebastian Vettel (on pole) and his Red Bull Renault teammate, Mark Webber (starting from 2nd) had a terrible start and were quickly overtaken by Fernando Alonso for Ferrari. Alonso was under investigation by the stewards for a false start, but it did not go anywhere. Then on the first lap an accident between Buemi, Kobayashi, and Liuzzi. This brought out the yellow flag and the safety car (a Mercedes SLS AMG!) for a lap or two. Buemi, Kobayashi, and Liuzzi were out of the race.
There was a lot of excitement in this race as there was a threat of rain at every turn. It saw a lot of pitting for change of tires and therefore lots of changes in position. Vettel and Webber never got their bearings again. Rosberg took the lead for many laps before being overtaken by Hamilton and Button. It did rain for most of the race coming down heavy at times, but not enough to stop the race. This race had a lot of inquires from the start, but all were pretty much handled during the race with one exception. Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel were leaving Pit Lane when it appeared that Hamilton sped up and veered his car into restricted areas. The penalty for both drivers, if any, was to be determined after the race. It was not expected that the stewards would penalize heavily, even though, this was a very dangerous incident that could have harmed people. As expected, both drivers received a slap on the wrist. Once Button and Hamilton passed Rosberg it was pretty much the finish of the race. Rosberg fell behind from what appeared to be a slide off track from the rain. This race was what Formula 1 racing is all about. Great driving, excitement, strategy, close finishes, and excellent coverage by Speed Channel.
Although the economy is affecting even China, this race saw one of the largest turnouts in attendance. The Chinese love Michael Schumacher (just about as much as they love Ferrari his old team) and most came out to see him race again. Schumacher continues to be frustrated though. His return after three years is seeing him in championship points and with respectable finishes over some of the younger drivers. I just think the three year absence is taking its toll. He is very patient and so should we be with his performance to date. He has said he did not expect to win many races this year, but teams have gotten impatient and unlike when Schumacher was with Ferrari, now teams are changing drivers without much of a chance to grow with a team. Schumacher is also very competitive and although he says he holds expectations down, I have a feeling he wants at least a podium finish this year!
The Driver’s Championship after four races (the highest point leader at the end of the season wins the FIA World Driver’s Championship):
Jenson Button is leading with – 60 points, Nico Rosberg – 50 points, Fernando Alonso – 49 points, Lewis Hamilton – 49 points, Sebastian Vettel – 45 points, Felipe Massa – 41 points, Robert Kubica – 40 points, Mark Webber – 28 points, Michael Schumacher – 10 points, Adrian Sutil – 10 points, Vitantonio Liuzzi – 8 points, Vitaly Petrov – 6 points, Rubens Barrichello – 5 points, Jamie Alguersuari – 2 points, Nico Hulkenberg – 1 point.
For the Constructor’s Championship after four races (same as drivers most points at end of season wins):
Vodafone McLaren Mercedes – 109 points, Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro – 90 points, Red Bull Racing Renault – 73 points, Mercedes GP Petronas Formula One Team – 60 points, Renault F1 Team – 46 points, Force India F1 Team Mercedes – 18 points, AT&T Williams Cosworth – 6 points, and Scuderia Torro Rosso Ferrari – 2 points.
BARCELONA, SPAIN
The Race
Spanish GP 2009 Photo by Andrew Ferraro LAT Photographic
The race will be held at Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona, Spain. It is sixteen turns with some nice straights for picking up speed, but passing is rather difficult for most part. A lot of ground can be picked up by drivers that can meet the challenge of many of the turns. The pole position was won by Jenson Button and won the race for the 2009 Spanish Grand Prix. Rubens Barachello was also with the Brawn Mercedes team last year (he is now with Lotus) and holds the circuit lap record, had the fastest qualifying lap, and the fastest lap of the race last year. The race will be 66 laps over 190.825 miles. Many drivers have experience over this track and that will come in handy. There are several drivers from Spain racing, most notably Fernando Alonso racing for Ferrari who is tied for third place going into the race for World Driver’s Champion. The other two drivers from Spain are: Jaime Alguersuari with Scuderia Toro Rosso (STR Ferrari) team and Pedro de La Rosa with the BMW Sauber Ferrari team.
The World Driver’s Championship is within a couple of points for several drivers and they will not be denied. Because of this, the fierce competitiveness will be apparent. There are only 10 points between current first place points holder Jenson Button and second place points holder Nico Rosberg, a tie for third place right now between Alonso and Hamilton both only 1 point behind Rosberg, then you have Vettel only 4 points behind them in 4th place, and so on. Spain will see some great driving and exciting racing.
All teams will also have major aero upgrades and improvements made to the cars starting with this race, which will help stabilization and traction. Though the teams thought they would have close to three weeks before the Spanish Grand Prix to work on this, many were trapped in China longer than expected because of the volcanic ash. So we will see if the full implementation will take place with this race or in Monaco next week.
F1 Race weekend begins (please check back as I will update this article with the starting grid and with race results over the weekend):
Friday, May 7, 2010 will be televised practice runs for the teams and drivers. Practice runs are mainly to fine tune the cars and drivers by testing the track, crew, and the cars. If in the United States, this will be live on Speed Channel at 5:00 a.m. PST/8:00 am EST.
Saturday, May 8, 2010 will be qualifying for the starting grid for the race. This will determine pole position (inside 1st row) in the final round. The starting grid this year will have twelve rows of two cars each. There are three qualifying rounds. The first round eliminates seven drivers/teams from moving forward to the next round. The second qualifying round will do the same, taking out the bottom seven drivers/teams, leaving the fastest ten. The third and final qualifying round will take the final ten drivers/teams and will determine the first five rows of the starting grid. It is a little more complicated than just fastest lap speed and there are situations where it is possible that a driver with a faster lap could end up in the back seven rows. In the United States, this will be live on Speed Channel at 5:00 am PST/8:00 am EST.
UPDATED 5/8/10 11:00 A.M. – STARTING GRID (1st Five Rows):
1st Row: Mark Webber (Australia), Pole Position, Fastest Lap 1:19.995 racing for Red Bull Racing Renault; and his teammate, Sebastian Vettel (Germany) Fastest Lap 1:20.101. Note: This duo for the Red Bull Team has the most first row starting captures but have failed, so far, in equaling that stat with podium finishes. They are still doing well and the season is young, so we will see if their starting position will translate into a podium win.
2nd Row: Lewis Hamilton (Great Britain) Fastest Lap 1:20.829 for McLaren Mercedes; and Fernando Alonso (Spain) for Ferrari, Fastest Lap 1:20.937.
3rd Row: Jenson Button (Great Britain) for McLaren Mercedes, Fastest Lap 1:20.991; and Michael Schumacher (Germany) for Mercedes GP, Fastest Lap 1:21.294. Note: Schumacher has finally bested his teammate Nico Rosberg, perhaps this is a sign that he is getting his groove back!
4th Row: Robert Kubica (Poland) for Renault F1 Team, Fastest Lap 1:21.353; and Nico Rosberg (Germany) for Mercedes GP, Fastest Lap 1:21.408
5th Row: Felipe Massa (Brazil) for Ferrari, Fastest Lap 1:21.595; and Kamui Kobayashi (Japan) for Sauber-Ferrari Fastest Lap 1:21.984. Note: This is Kobayashi’s best start of this season.
NOTE: You can tell that the aero improvements made to the cars are already becoming clear. We will see how this pans out in the race. It will be exciting to watch, may the best man and team win.
Sunday, May 9, 2010 is RACE DAY. In the US, Speed Channel will cover this live at 4:30 am PST/7:30 am EST.
Times are subject to change.
Updated 5/9/2010 8:14 a.m. Race Results:
1st Place - Mark Webber (Australia) for Red Bull Renault. Started race from the Pole and led the race from start to finish and at times with some of the fastest laps of the day. This is Webber’s third career victory. He is now in 4th place with 53 points for the World Driver’s Championship.
2nd Place - Fernando Alonso (Spain) for Scuderia Ferrari. He was the favorite of Spain and even in his 2nd place finish, the crowd roared when he took the podium as if he had won. He is now in 2nd place for the World Driver’s Championship with 67 points.
3rd - Sebastian Vettel (Germany) for Red Bull Renault. He started in the 1st row, in second position, with his teammate that won Mark Webber. He is now in 3rd place with this win with 60 World Driver’s Championship points.
Full results, stats, and recap of race on Results page (see below for direct link where it says “updated”). For Championship point’s results as of this race, please go to Championship Standings (see below for direct link where it says “updated”).
You should go to the special page I set up called Formula 1: Intro, Wine, and Food for more detailed information on F1, race schedule, results (updated 5/9/10), championship standings (updated 5/9/10), links to all teams, drivers, racing circuits, and organizations that have websites to further your knowledge and enjoyment of the sport. You will also find a real-time television schedule of air time for the races on Speed Channel. This page will supplement the individual articles that I write and will also serve as an archive when the racing season ends and for the series of articles.
NEXT UP: Monaco a May 16, 2010 (race day)
Below are two videos found on YouTube that I thought you would enjoy and/or learn more from:
A Brief Background on History, Culture, Customs of Spain and Barcelona
In 1994, discoveries of six hominin skeletons were found in Atapuerca, one of the oldest sites in Europe. Found in the Gran Dolina cave and were estimated to be between 780,000 to 1 million years old. The first Neanderthal discovery (named several years later) was in Spain back in 1848 in Gibraltar. Neanderthal was not named until further remains of this new species were discovered in Neanderthal, Germany in the 1850s. Neanderthals were driven to extinction over 30,000 years ago.
Many cultures spread through the Peninsula and have made Spain what it is today. Starting with the Iberians, Celts, the Phoenicians, Catalonians, Basques, Castilians, Lusitanians, Arabs, Jews, Galician, Gypsies, among others left there mark. Then there was the conquest by the Roman Empire that ruled the entire Iberian Peninsula, except for the Basques, from an estimated 209 BC/BCE to 586 AD/CE and had the most impact on what would become modern Spain. They left the Latin language, law, monuments, infrastructure, and the Christian religion. Many of the Roman rulers were Spanish, such as Marcus Aurelius, Trajan, and Hadrian. Then the Moors ruled for centuries until being expelled from Spain in the late 1400s. The union of the two Catholic Monarchs, Isabella of Castile and Ferdinand of Aragon in 1469 formed the Crown of Castile that ultimately sent Christopher Columbus to Asia, only to discover America by accident in 1492. Guess you can say if it were not for Spain, America could have had a different history. For over 300 years after, the Spanish explored and conquered huge territories for Spain. And its succession to the Spanish crown went from, Castilian, Aragonese, Habsburg, and to the Bourbon rulers. During this period, Spain had become the richest country in the world, and also one of the most religious. They suffered a loss of their overseas territories in the 18th and 19th centuries of which they also became a forgotten country to the world. Then the Spanish Civil War from 1936-1939 that certainly brought Spain back to the world limelight, good or bad. This led to a dictatorship and world alienation under Francisco Franco over four decades. After Franco’s death in 1975, Juan Carlos, a Bourbon king, returned to the throne and brought in the constitutional monarchy. Spain has seen socialist and conservative governments ever since, but never have they wavered from a democracy.
Spain of today has world renowned restaurants, shopping, sports (soccer in particular), historical landmarks, music and entertainment, beautiful scenery and great drives, museums, cathedrals, castles, and many fun places to go. The wine industry is one of the more diverse out there, but more on that below. Spain’s capital is Madrid. We have all heard of the bullfights and the Running of the Bulls. At least in the Running of the Bulls, the bulls have some revenge against its human antagonists, although short lived. Spain also has many festivals that people throughout the world come to attend.
Spain is in southwestern Europe, southwest of France separated in part by the Pyrenees Mountains. Bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, Bay of Biscay, and the Mediterranean Sea.
Part of Spain includes two autonomous cities – Ceuta and Melilla. Then there are 17 autonomous communities that include the Canary Islands. There are also three small Spanish possessions off the coast of Morocco. Its natural resources include: coal, copper, lead, zinc, uranium, tungsten, mercury, pyrites, magnesite, fluorspar, gypsum, iron ore, sepiolite, kaolin, potash, hydropower, arable land, and lignite.
It is estimated that Spain’s population was 40,525,002 as of 2009. Its median age is 41.1, one of the oldest in this series of articles so far. Roman Catholic is the dominate religion followed throughout Spain at an estimated 94%. Its predominate and official language is Castilian Spanish 74%, Catalan 17%, Galician 7%, Basque 2%. As mentioned elsewhere in this article, it government is a parliamentary monarchy.
Spain has many political pressure groups, but none as well known as the ETA. A Basque independence organization, labeled as an international terrorist group. Its stated goal is independent state for the Basques. Because of this and terrorism in general, it is best that if you plan to visit Spain check the travel conditions with your consulate.
Its GDP in purchasing power is $1.368 trillion (2009 est.). Its GDP growth was progressing nicely for about fifteen years when in late 2007 its growth began to slow down. It is estimated, by some economists, that Spain will see modest growth this year. However, its unemployment rate continues to skyrocket and as of now one of the highest unemployment rates in the world at over 20%, mainly because of the lack of new construction in the country caused by the global recession. The Bank of Spain has not been hit as bad as most in financial markets, from what some economists claim were conservative measures.
Spain welcomes tourism and the Spanish people are very friendly and hospitable. A trip there would be a great adventure.
SPECIAL NOTE: Flamenco came from Spain by way of the Gypsies (Gitano), otherwise known as the Flamencos, and is their traditional song and dance from Andalusia in southern Spain. It is an art form that encompasses at its core, the song (canto)/singing (cante) and dance (baile), each having three or more forms, of many include the use of the infamous Flamenco guitar:
Grand or Deep (Grande or Hondo). This is a very intense form of Flamenco filled with emotion and can get into the depths of tragedy.
Intermediate (Intermedio). A little bit less intense, with a lighter tone and form. Some have characterized the sound of the music as oriental in its tone.
Small (Pequeño). This is much lighter and fun and brings out emotions of love and nature.
There are also several other genres of this art form, but the above are the traditional and most identifiable.
Like the music, the dance is often improvised with traditional rhythms and chords. For more information on the beautiful art form, please click this following link to Flamenco. In the United States, there was just one person that I can say had an influence in popularizing Flamenco and that was Jose Greco. I met him once at a party and he was truly an artist deeply in love with his craft. Growing up in San Francisco, there was a love for this as well. Many Spanish restaurants came on the scene and all had Flamenco music and dance at the time.
A few other cultures had a hand in this art form in Spain as well. It is said that the Jews, Moors or Arabs, and the indigenous Andalusians played a part in its history and culture.
Barcelona
Cathedral of Santa Eulalia in Barcelona built 13-15th century
Barcelona has a history as rich as Spain itself. Founded under Roman rule, it is Spain’s 2nd largest city with an estimated 1.5 million+ population and is the capital of Catalonia. Rather than get into its very deep and complex history in this article. I found an interesting website that is sponsored by the Barcelona City Council that is quite extensive and interactive. Please see Barcelona History for further information. Catalan influences are everywhere and is the official language of Barcelona.
Barcelona was host to the 1992 Summer Olympics and has some of Europe’s most majestic castles and there is even a tower there that goes back to the 2nd century. The castles are one of the main tourist attractions and several of these along with some monasteries have even been converted to Paradors (unique luxury accommodations usually housed in historical buildings). Several over look the city below, most notably the Medieval Castell de Montjuic sitting atop the hill at Montjuic and is now a military museum. Another notable castle is Castell de Castellet in a very small municipality called Castellet that was once a fortress of the Moors. Cathedrals abound throughout Spain, but Barcelona has at least twenty nine notable religious sites, one of which is the Catedral de la Santa Cruz y Santa Eulalia. It is an impressive site of which the basilica is named after the St Cross and St Eulalia, after being killed by the Romans for her Catholic faith. It was built in the latter part of the 13th century and the cathedral was preceded by a number of different constructions, including a mosque, a few early Christian churches, and a Roman temple. The Vestibule of San Ivo, it is said houses the oldest door made from the finest marble and stone.
Barcelona is also home to a beloved football team, FC Barcelona. It also has become a fashion mecca with impressive fashion houses. There are plenty of bustling squares and streets of which one, the La Rambia is one of the liveliest with its cafes, restaurants, art galleries, small shops, and street vendors. Then there is Cuitat Vella or called The Old Town, that has four unique areas: El Raval, Barri Gotic, El Born, and La Barceloneta filled with monuments, religious sites, winding streets, small restaurants and shops, and the ever present street vendors, among other things. The Eixample is where Barcelona gets surreal because this is really where modern architecture flourishes. It is also the area where there is high fashion, some of the best restaurants, entertainment, nightlife, plenty of wine bars to accommodate its growing and well respected wine industry (see below), and many more representations of modern Europe. As it is on the coast, you will find plenty of beaches, luxury hotels, the finest dining and entertainment.
The Food and Wine
The Wine
As I am concentrating on the Catalonia/Barcelona area where the race is being held, I will come back to the wines of Spain itself in a later article as it deserves more attention. Spain is producing some excellent wines these days. You should know some basics though. Spain has wine classifications much like most of European wines. In Spain, they have two tiers of these classifications, one for quality wines and the other for table or “country” wines.
Quality Wine Classifications (these will appear on the wine label)
Denominación de Origen Calificada (DOCa). This is the highest classification awarded and is the most strict to follow. These wines must be bottled in the regions where they are from and represent the finest quality wines of Spain. Currently only two wine regions have met this difficult task in winning this classification, they are: Rioja and Priorat.
Denominación de Origen (DO). This classification must meet the requirements as specified by regulatory councils that decide if a wine producer can earn and use this classification. It represents that wines in this classification must meet standards of quality, but not as rigorous as the DOCa. These wines must also be from the designated growing region. There are over 60 Spanish wine regions in this classification, among them the Penedès and Alella regions which are in the Barcelona province.
DO Pago. This is predominantly for single and small wineries that are within one area.
Table/Country Wine Classifications
VdlT Vino de la Tierra. These wines come from areas where there are no DO classifications yet, but have regional character. These wines are often called Country wines as the name indicates. These wines tend to be various quality wines, mostly good, with value pricing.
VC Vino Comarcal. Well simply put, the wines given this classification are not yet given a status that that can be rated for its quality. This does not mean they are poor quality, just wines that have not made it into any of the other classifications for one reason or another. However, some of the lesser quality wines and the cheapest to buy fall under this classification.
VdM Vino de Mesa
These are wines usually produced with blended grapes from areas that are not determined, such as from regions in Spain other than their own or imported from other countries. These are often the non-vintage wines under this classification and include most of the table wines of Spain and have some good wines and some bad.
There are also classifications for aged wines in Spain (again this should be designated on most labels of aged wines):
Gran Reserva. This is for the wines with a storage/aging period of at least three-five years and must have spent at least two years in oak.
Reserva. This is for wines with a storage/aging period of at least two-three years with at least twelve months in oak.
Crianza. This is for wines with a storage/aging period of at least one-two years with at least six months in oak.
Note on Sangria. Many people literally think that Sangria originated in Mexico. Well sorry to inform you, but this tasty wine drink with a punch (literally!), did originate in Spain. It is a great drink for parties on a hot day or night with a Spanish theme or not. I tried this recipe a few years ago for a party and it was excellent. However, unless you are going to have at least 50 guests wanting two glasses a piece, you will need to adjust the recipe for fewer than 100 drinks though! Sangria Recipe.
Barcelona Wines
In my research there appears to be only two wine regions in the Catalonian province of Barcelona. Both regions are classified DO (see above). Catalonia boasts several wine regions throughout three of its other provinces of Girona, Lleida, and Tarragona; however, I will concentrate on the two under the Barcelona province. Vineyards are called “Bodegas” in Spain.
Alella Region
This is one of the smallest wine regions and as of this writing consists of seven wineries. This area is known for its hot and dry summers, rainfall in the spring and autumn, with mild winters. It rarely sees any frost but it is still a concern in the mountain areas. There is a mountain range that acts as a buffer to allow for a consistent humidity level. The grape varieties in this region are:
White. Picapoll, Gamacha Blanca, Pansa Blanca, Pansa Rosada, Malvasia, Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, Macabeo, Parellada, among others
Red. Garnacha Negra, Tempranillo, Gamacha Peluda, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, among others
Seven wineries follow. If they have a viable website with English translation, then click the name of the winery to be taken to their website to find out more about their wines, schedule a visit, find out if the wines are sold near you, and other information:
Penedes Region
This is one of Spain’s most well known wine regions. Why? Under Jose Raventos of Codorniu the first Spanish sparkling wine was introduced and called it Cava. It is now known for more than Cava and produces some very good wine. Because of its proximity to Barcelona, many of the wines produced had wines that could be paired well with some of its cuisine in mind. This region can also be credited with forward thinking in modernization of its winemaking introducing stainless steel tanks and temperature control systems. Penedes is actually broken down into three zones each producing different wines per its climate:
Penedes Superior (Alt Penedes). Some of Spain’s best white wines are made here because of its cool climate like the local Parellada, Chardonnay, and Riesling, among others. It boasts some of the highest altitudes vineyards in Europe.
Baix Penedes. This is full bodied red territory. It has a warm weather climate and is low lying along the coast. Some of the reds produced in the zone are: Carinena, Monastrell, and Garnacha grapes.
Medio Penedes (Penedes Central). This is the largest producer of wines in the region and is middle of the road in elevation between the two other zones. This is where the majority of Cava is produced, which uses predominately Macabeo and Parellada grapes, among others. The reds produced in this zone are Tempranillo, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon.
About Cava. There are a lot of sparkling wines calling itself Cava from Spain, but from what I have been told, it is all in the cork, with the true Cava’s cork having a four pointed star emblem on it. Cava is made in the Champagne Method, but because of a dispute with France, champagne could not be used, so Cava was born. It also has varying degrees of classifications for its sweetness factor. Brut Nature has no sugar added and is of course the most dry, followed by Extra Brut, Brut, Extra Seco (Dry), Seco, Semi-Seco, Dulce which is the sweetest of them all. Although the originator Codorniu and its competitor Freixenet have been around and the most well known, other producers are coming forward with more complex and well rounded Cava, if this is your liking. I would encourage you to experiment with Cava as they are not all alike. This way you can find one just right for you and it will be a lot of fun trying! Most Cava is priced in affordable ranges to help you experiment and taste, while the better more complex Cava that would compete with the better champagne and sparkling wines worldwide tend to be a bit more money.
As there are hundreds of wineries in the Penedes region, I cannot mention all of them or provide links to all of them. Instead, I found the Penedes wine region website with its search engine with a listing of the wineries in the region. It will also provide information on the region itself to help you should you wish to do a bit of Spanish wine tasting and travel. Please follow this link, Penedes Wine Region of Spain.
Remember though, that all wine tasting and classifications are subjective and only meant to guide you on what to expect when purchasing these wines. Depending on your palate, you are the ultimate judge of what you like. I always say experiment, but do not let a couple of wines from any region, if not to your liking, discourage you from trying others. Like in any wine region, you will find excellent wines and could find some poor wines depending on how they are produced and blended.
The Food
Paella
You will never go hungry in Barcelona. It does have dining times that can be a bit different than here in the United States. For instance, most do not have dinner (sopar/cena) before 9:00 pm (my kind of people!) and most restaurants are open until around 1:30 am. The main meal of the day is lunch (dinar/comida) and is served for most part between 2:00 pm and 4:00 pm.
Breakfast (esmorzar/desayuno). Somewhat like in the U.S., it is often hurried and will usually consist of coffee and some sort of pastry, a Cana which is a cream filled croissant, a Bikini which is toasted ham and cheese, or A Spanish tostada which is basically open faced buttered toast with something else on it of your choosing. There is something I also heard about but never had and that is, xurros amb xoclata (or churros) con chocolate which is a thick hot chocolate that is dripped on a deep fried pastry, often on a stick (sounds a bit like chocolate covered bananas only done with pastry). Yet another simple breakfast favorite is Pa amb tomàquet, which is a thick bread (usually a hard crusted bread) with a garlic and tomato rub, drizzled in olive oil and some salt, this is a favorite though and is not just served for breakfast. Then again, if you have some time perhaps you can grab a La Tortilla Espanola (Spanish omelet) often called a potato omelet as it is made with eggs, potatoes, bacon or ham, and onion is often used. Although it is not in all recipes, I have had a Spanish omelet with tomatoes in it and was fantastic!
As mentioned prior, the Catalan influences are predominant in Barcelona that often you will be presented a menu (la carta) in this language in some areas. The Catalonian language is a cross between French and Spanish, with some Romance languages thrown in.
Barcelona food is traditional and cooked with olive oil, with lots of vegetables, meat, poultry, and fish. Catalan food is a bit different overall to much of Spain. It tends to be more multicultural as the region itself. It uses nuts and raisins in unique ways, often with vegetables, I have also seen them mixed with fruits; meats (carn/carne), in particular rabbit, can be found cooked with snails; meats or chicken (pollastre/pollo) cooked in fruits, encrusted lamb dishes, etc.
Many Barcelona/Catalan dishes will have French and Valencia influences. Some variations on the traditional paella dishes will be found. Rice (arros/arroz) is used a lot. With the Mediterranean within reach, expect plenty of seafood (mariscos) and fish (peix/pescado) dishes as well. Olives and olive oil is used in almost everything. Game, dried fruits, wild mushrooms from Pyrenees will be used often. Grapes also find their way in many dishes. Many dishes are cooked over charcoal fire (a la brasa).
Meat (carn/carne) can be any of the following: pork (porc/cerdo), lamb (anyell/cordero), or beef (vedella/ternera).
Other basic translations that can be helpful on a menu: eggs (ous/huevos), vegetables (verdures/verduras), dessert (postres), ice cream (gelats/helados), soups (sopes/sopas), salads (amanides/ensaladas), hors d’oeuvres (entremesos/entremeses)
There are five sauces used frequently in Catalan food:
Sofregit. Consisting of tomatoes, fried onion, and garlic
Picada. Ground almonds, parsley, breadcrumbs (sometimes these are left out), nuts (usually pine or hazel), and garlic
Samfaina (often called Chanfaina). This combines sofregit with aubergine (sometimes courgette), and red peppers
Allioli. This is garlic and olive oil pounded or pressed together. Add egg yolks and it forms a mayonnaise to be used more as a spread.
Romesco. Garlic, olive oil, tomato, almond, and vinegar. This can be used as a sauce or a dressing.
Some favorite dishes in Barcelona are (again, these can vary depending on chef and neighborhood):
Paella. Rice dish with meat or fish, usually cooked in a flat circular pan with olive oil. This can take many forms as well depending on region, fusion methods and so on. Other ingredients can be added like tomatoes, olives, garlic, and a combination of meat, poultry, and fish/shellfish. I have also seen Paella cooked in any of the above sauces or plain cooked with just olive oil.
Fideua. Cooked in a flat circular pan it combines poultry and/or meat, shellfish, and vegetables, usually served over a bed of thin noodles, instead of rice.
Calçotada. Charred local baby onions (calcots) that are tender on the inside then braised in a Catalonian sauce (romesco) of red peppers, garlic, tomatoes, almonds, and olive oil.
Sarsuela. Seafood medley of different types and combinations of prawns, clams, shrimp, squid, mussels, crayfish, other fish (mainly white fish), or lobster. These are then combined as a casserole with sherry, olive oil, spices, tomatoes, lemon, paprika, other spices, and white wine can be added as well.
Tapas. Are basically bite size or small portions. These are often served as an alternative to heavy meals at lunch or dinner. In the US they can be used in the same way. I sometimes have certain Tapas as an Appetizer.
Crema Catalana. This is a wonderful dessert that goes well with a great aged tawny port (from personal experience!). It is an egg custard, made with cinnamon, caramel, butter, and in many recipes lemon. Most that are familiar with Cream Caramel will like this dessert.
Churros. Guess you can associate this with a doughnut, but in a different form. Made of flour, butter, salt, water, and eggs it is deep fried in olive oil and sprinkled with powered sugar.
As I rarely provide recipes of my own (there is a reason for that!), the following is a link to a few Catalan and Barcelona food recipes from a Barcelona visitor’s site: Barcelona Recipes.
One of the most renowned chefs of Catalan cuisine is Ferran Adrià. He is no doubt a celebrity chef that helped make molecular gastronomy a culinary term. He will be taking a break from his Michelin three star rated restaurant elBulli to become a teacher at Harvard in culinary physics. For more information on him and his cuisine, follow this link from a New York Times article: Ferran Adrià.
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You really have an edge on the Spainish wine and food scene. Never thought about the race before now, but would love to go.
The new F1 circuits look great but I find them a bit dull. Monza and Silverstone ftw!
“Some of Spain’s best white wines are made here because of its cool climate like the local Parellada, Chardonnay, and Riesling, among others. It boasts some of the highest altitudes vineyards in Europe.”
Where else can I read about it?