From shrimp to capipota: the dishes that will triumph on the table this Christmas

The Christmas holidays are approaching and, with them, many ways to celebrate them. But however they are celebrated, there is a central element that cannot be missing: food. Whether at home or in a restaurant, many of the ingredients that will be protagonists will have passed through Mercabarna. This year, it expects to market more than 100,000 tons of product, with an increase of between 2 and 8% compared to last year, and with rising prices due to market conditions.

From there will come ingredients for the most traditional dishes and also for the most innovative and daring. From the essential prawn and grapes to an unexpected rambutan, many products will set trends this year, as explained by the vice president of the Associació d'Empreses Majoristes de Mercabarna (Assocome), Pere Prats, along with the president, Jaume Flores, and representatives of the different sectors that operate in Mercabarna. In an event surrounded by fresh products, Carme Ruscalleda and Raül Balam gave shape to these ingredients from Mercabarna through a guided tasting that ranged from pickled vegetables to Christmas apple cake.

"We will have a Christmas campaign with a lot of product and a wide range of qualities," highlighted the vice president of the Gremi Majorista de Fruites i Hortalisses de Barcelona, Lorenzo Carrasco. This is a trend that is repeated in the various products marketed from Mercabarna, ranging from fruit to fish and seafood, including meat and poultry —curiously, pork is not included among them, which is why they do not foresee any impact from African swine fever—.

Ingredients from all of them are pointing to this Christmas's trends: sea bass, sea bream, monkfish tail, squid, and longline hake will be some of the star fish, as explained by the president of the Gremi de Majoristes del Mercat Central del Peix de Mercabarna, Àngel Máñez. Lobster and prawns —which are moderating prices— will not be missing from the table, as well as clams, Norway lobster, and shrimp, which will continue to be a traditional ingredient for holidays that also continue to bet on smoked salmon as a Christmas classic. Beach fish will also be a good option for Christmas meals, while negotiations continue in Brussels on fishing restrictions, as Llum Ortega from the Gremi de Majoristes del Peix reminded.

Meat also moves between tradition and new trends—which, in reality, are just recovering old ones. These, however, vary depending on whether it is cooked at home or eaten at a restaurant: "At home, we are more traditional," with kid goat or good cuts for fricandó or a roast. Restaurants are more daring: "Some renowned chefs are returning to products that had stopped being consumed due to fads, and exquisite dishes emerge, such as tongue, tripe, or capipota," highlights Martí Colomer, spokesperson for the meat sector of Assocome. Poultry is also experiencing a "moment of rebirth," according to expert Josep Capdevila, with the recovery of breeds through small producers. With chicken as the undisputed king, Mercabarna also makes available to the table birds such as duck, pullet, and, especially during the holidays, goose and black-feathered turkey.

In fruits and vegetables, "red fruits will be the protagonists," especially blueberries, a trend that has been consolidating for years and to which a new one is added: exotic fruits such as lychees, rambutan, and passion fruit. All without forgetting, of course, grapes, which this year maintain their price compared to last season. Among vegetables, one that is gaining strength stands out: "pumpkin, which can now be considered a trend product," according to Carrasco.

Thus, tradition and new trends emerge in all product families, facing a Christmas campaign for which Mercabarna is already prepared, for all tastes and budgets. The preparation, however, has been going on for months, as purchases are increasingly made earlier: restaurants order their cuts of meat and fish products from mid-October, and households do so from mid-November.

And the importance of the product is vital, as Ruscalleda highlighted, who was in charge of putting all this fresh product into action, along with her son, also chef Raül Balam. They did so with a guided tasting session with recommendations and tricks to shine with holiday recipes: lobster salad, pullet blanquette, monkfish moqueca, or sweet and sour cheek as ideas to integrate an infinite assortment of products that have Mercabarna as their point of origin.