Gastronomic gifts 'made in Barcelona'

Barcelona is a brand that is not only proudly displayed in the tourism sector. Our city is home to restaurateurs, artisans, and gastronomic creators who champion made in Barcelona with proposals of absolute excellence.

What better way to gift our most gastronomic Barcelona to those of us who love it so much?

We begin this selection with a sweet that in the last decade has gained ground, positioning itself among the favorites of Barcelonians to entertain the most festive after-dinner gatherings and even liven up the days before such significant meals. This sweet that we have adopted as our own is panettone, a piece of art of Italian origin that is a display of mastery of dough and baking. The traditional format is made with a soft, fluffy, and flavorful brioche dough in the shape of a dome and incorporates candied fruit and raisins and shows a crunchy glaze.

Every year the Pastry School of the Gremi de Barcelona holds a competition in which the best classic panettone and the best chocolate panettone in Spain are decided. This 2022, the award for the best classic has been received by a highly renowned and esteemed artisan in Barcelona: Daniel Jordà, from Panes Creativos. It can be purchased in his physical store or online and its RRP is €25: a marvel of limited edition fruits and raisins that is sold in gift wrapping, designed for gifting.

The chocolate panettone that has achieved the highest distinction is from l'Atélier, the renowned workshop and pastry school of chefs Eric Ortu and Ximena Pastor. It is on limited sale for €44, either in their store or in their online store. Finally, we cannot forget Miquel Saborit's panettone, another artisan who, along with Jordà, is considered one of the best in the world. The trip to Torelló to buy this jewel in his bakery MésKpa is more than justified.

Artisan nougats and festive cakes

Although panettone has conquered many homes and preferences, nougat remains the king of Christmas tables and a gift that the Tió de Nadal used to offer and is now given as an object of consumption and desire. There are as many varieties of nougat as their makers have imagination: from the most classic ones of Jijona, almond, burnt yolk or chocolate with almonds to absolutely surprising creations in which savory flavors become sweet and incorporate ingredients such as salt or corn.

Bomboneria Pons, in Sants, has a varied assortment of 32 references of nougats of its own making. This artisanal chocolate workshop, opened in 1960, and one of the few still active in Spain, is worth a visit to its workshop store at Olzinelles street 78: stepping through its door is like entering a time tunnel with a stop at Willy Wonka's chocolate factory. Shelves and counters full of chocolate creations, wrapped in cellophane or small boxes that look like jewelry, with great care, welcome the customer. The essential nougats of the house are the burnt egg yolk (RRP €16.50), the black Cuban, the black almond praline or the truffle with marc de cava (RRP €11.90)

Continuing with brands made in Barcelona, Simón Coll is another one to consider. Chocolate artisans since 1840, their chocolate nougats are defined by being made with selected origin chocolate (made in their workshop from cocoa roasting to the final product) and whole nuts, with a firm texture and delicious flavor where the ingredients are noticeable and enjoyable. The best known are those with chocolate and almonds or hazelnuts and it is possible to choose between milk chocolate and dark chocolate (70%). Their price is €4.95 per bar and can be bought online.

In this journey through the nougat world, and having seen the most classic artisanal proposals, the products of artisan makers who take nougat as a reference and play with shape, texture and flavors cannot be missed. Since 2020, Xok, the Christmas nougat pop-up of the creative studio Imasdesserts reinvents nougat in surprising Christmas monographs: this year, the team led by pastry chefs David Gil and Ingrid Serra has redesigned international Christmas icons into nougats of virtuous flavors, combinations and presentations. Nougats in the shape of a candle (honey gianduja with white chocolate and honey toffee interior), in the shape of a galet (praliné à l'ancienne of macadamia with soft caramel and white chocolate) or Christmas stockings where Santa Claus leaves gifts, made of delicious strawberry gianduja with red fruit and hibiscus paste and lemon and coconut marshmallow. All of them (and three more delicate creations) are available in their online store at a unit price of €19.50.

Another reference in creativity in the sweet world is Casa Cacao, the project of the Roca brothers whose most visible face is pastry chef Jordi Roca. This December, all their creations based on cocoa of origin and provenance are available online and in the pop-up they have just installed at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, until December 23. There you can find both their one-kilo cocoa panettone and two very special turrones: the Cocoa Beans turrón made with Kerala (India) cocoa from 2019, whose RRP is €13.50, and the Christmas Tree turrón, created with a cocoa pulp jelly, water ganache, and a pistachio gianduja and cocoa nibs base (RRP €34).

Turrón is so versatile that it can be found not only as a dessert but also as an ingredient. Those who love this Christmas sweet with more than 500 years of tradition will surely enjoy a good piece of these two cakes that incorporate it as a star ingredient: Jon Cake, already known as the king of cheesecakes in Barcelona, is selling a cheesecake made with Jijona turrón from the artisans of Can Soler, in their workshop store in Born (Assaonadors, 29) from December 20 to 31, for €15 or €24 depending on whether the individual format or the medium cake is preferred. Hugo Roche, the alma mater of Pasté BCN, with his newly opened establishment in Plaza del Diamant 4 in Gràcia, proposes another fun version with turrón, the turrón cake with a crunchy biscuit and almond base, with a fluffy and creamy Jijona mousse, cocoa powder, and turrón shavings. It is offered at a single price and format: €38, for between 6 and 8 diners.

Gifting gastronomy is always a good idea

Although one of the most common activities during Christmas is eating, gifts where gastronomy sets the tone are always very popular. A gift that always hits the mark, knowing the tastes of the recipient. Packs with already cooked meals to take to the table, drinks with the smell and taste of traditional Christmas markets, or the best cured meats for snacking can be very interesting options.

Lovers of good roasts, with little time or knowledge to make them at home? The delivery food packs from Asador de Aranda and Rooster & Bubbles will be a triumph. Asador de Aranda, a benchmark in Barcelona for renewed traditional Castilian gastronomy, offers a menu for two people to take away that includes a selection of the most representative dishes from its menu: Iberian ham DOP Guijuelo, rice black pudding, cooked pot chorizo, red peppers roasted in a wood oven with EVOO and a quarter of roasted suckling lamb with green salad. The puff pastry filled with pastry cream and whipped cream and traditional doughnuts are also part of the pack, as well as a bottle of the house wine as a gift, an excellent D.O Ribera del Duero. Advance reservations are essential, and it is advisable to do so with foresight because the queues of customers who come to their establishments to pick up their menus is another of the Christmas scenes in our city. Its price is €120 and it can be picked up, by prior order, on December 24 (night), 25 (midday) and 26 (midday) and January 1 and 6 (midday).

Rooster & Bubbles is the great novelty in Barcelona when it comes to roasts. More made in Barcelona, impossible: the grandfather of its owner, Joan Casas, invented and popularized spit-roasted chicken in 1962 in his restaurant in Hostafrancs. Now Marc Martínez pays homage to his predecessor from his place in El Born with a proposal where chicken is joined by pork, lamb, violin pumpkin... and traditional stuffed chicken! They have designed a very succulent pack for two people that includes a stuffed chicken, traditional chicken cannelloni, baked potatoes, artisanal Catalan cream for dessert and, as a gift, a bottle of Brut Nature cava. The price of this menu for two diners is €45 and it is only available for take away and by reservation, to be made before December 23 and picked up on the 24th or 26th at their restaurant, at Pla de Palau 11.

Whoever does not forgive a good board of Iberian cured meats on their table will be very happy when they receive the set of products from Enrique Tomás. This gourmet pack of 100% acorn-fed Iberian ham includes four varieties, based on the concept of tasting. This gift will also be a journey through flavor through the most exclusive ham regions: Guijuelo, Extremadura, Córdoba, and Jabugo. It is presented in four envelopes with ham cut from the maza, the richest and juiciest part of the ham, of 40gr each. Baptized as "Cata 4 sabores" (Tasting 4 flavors) it is sold for €60 and can be found in their online store and Enrique Tomás stores in Barcelona.

Given the great diversity of food options that currently exist, proposals like those from Impossible Bakers are a breath of fresh air, as this food company led by Gustavo Catena, a master pastry chef expert in sports nutrition and ketogenic diet, thinks of delicious Christmases for everyone. Their Christmas basket, as well as the products it includes, are designed for those looking to celebrate without sugar, with a low carbohydrate index, or with products adapted to a ketogenic diet: for €82 it includes a 750gr Panettone, a milk chocolate and cocoa nib nougat, a dark chocolate and coconut nougat, almond rocks, dark chocolate with raspberry and flowers, and a half-liter bottle of Edo Organic, an Ultra Premium Organic EVOO. Available in their online store.

To toast and celebrate

And we conclude this selection of gastronomic gifts for gourmets with liquid gastronomy, another fundamental pillar of Christmas. These drinks are indispensable companions at every table, protagonists of toasts, sips after laughter, and many moments that are treasured when Christmas comes to an end.

For snacking or appetizers at that family gathering or to conclude that meal among our loved ones, what better than the bubbles of the Rosé Reserva de la Familia sparkling wine from Juvé y Camps, in its centenary edition? A Brut Nature made with Pinot Noir planted by the Juvé family 30 years ago, a cava that commemorates the centenary of this iconic winery with an excellent product that caresses the palate with a sensation of sensuality and exciting effervescence. Its RRP is €22.20 and can be purchased in their online store.

Vermouth, another of our national drinks, can be the star of other moments to share… served hot. Infused with spices, almonds, and orange peel and served at about 70º, it will be the embodiment of the Christmas spirit in a bottle! It is ideal for an aperitif, the ideal partner for a cheese board, and a special friend of blue cheeses. As a dessert, it will be another hit, accompanying nougat or panettone. It is created and marketed by Las Vermudas, an original vermouth bar in the Sant Antoni neighborhood, and can be bought there for €9.

There is no better way to close a Christmas celebration than with a steaming cup of specialty coffee. That dark-toned nectar, obtained from the best estate and origin beans, is the authentic gourmet sensation of the decade. Specialty coffee is appreciated by lovers of good coffee for offering a range of nuances and flavors, whether extracted in a French press, automatic espresso machine, or Italian coffee maker. For all these extraction processes, there are coffees designed to display all their aromas and flavors and delight with citrus, chocolate, spice, or even nut notes. A few kilometers from Barcelona, Tornado Coffee Roasters roasts exceptional beans from the most exclusive lots worldwide. For this Christmas, they have designed a gift pack with three limited editions of coffee from Colombia, Kenya, and Brazil in 250gr packages. It is sold through their online store for €39.50, and shipping costs are free.