It is with the mediterranean policy of the Crown of Aragon – essentially a policy of commercial dominance – that ports and markets got filled with new ingredients and the noble and bourgeois tables experimented with new recipes from far and near.
The new contact between Europe and the Americas, in the 15th century, did not provide new recipes or cultural influence right away, but over time new products were introduced, such as chocolate, potatoes and most importantly tomatoes, an ingredient that according to Colman Andrews is one of the most essentials in current Catalan cuisine.
The use of tomatoes does not enter the kitchen of the Catalan Countries until at least the 17th century and is not documented until the 18th century.
In the 16th century bread was still a basic element of any meal. Meat was very prized, especially ram meat (lamb). At the time, meat was roasted or cooked. The first written references to the use of dried cod in Catalan cuisine are also from the 16th century, cod was brought from Portugal through the Basques, across the Pyrenees. It was typical to eat a lot of vegetables and season it a lot. The fruit was also valued highly, especially melon and grapes, as well as nuts. The usual drinks were red wine and water, in any case always fresh. In this century, the fish was prepared in suquet with vegetables, oil and pepper. Also at this time cream became a fashionable, if it had to be sweetened, it was done with honey or sugar.
In the 19th century, the bourgeoisie opted for opulent preparations and menus, which never came to become popular or rooted in, often inspired by bourgeois French cuisine, which despised traditional and homemade cuisines such as Catalan, Italian and Occitan. On the other hand, at the inns, Catalan cuisine was still accessible to everyone, innovated and improved according to the tastes of its customers, who copied some of the dishes, such as cod a la llauna, at home (mostly on holidays). The traditions or customs like the paella eaten on Thursdays are also owed to them. Furthermore, it is in this century when the pa amb tomàquet (bread with tomato) appears for the first time in a written reference.
The different cuisines are never separated from one another and there are usually as many dishes shared as unique. One of the reasons to consider Catalan cuisine as part of a Mediterranean is the large number of basic elements that it shares with other cuisines such as Italian, Occitan and Spanish. One reason to consider Catalan cuisine as independent of these three is the numerous unity of some recipes all over the Catalan Countries (the esqueixada, arròs a banda or the escalivada are found with various names but with similar recipes), or the use of a single name for a broad culinary concept (as in the case of coca).
Another consideration is that, although many dishes common to the three countries of Catalan culture date from after the reconquest (such as samfaina and sofregit, since tomato was introduced in the 15th century) the cultural relations and especially commercial ones between Catalonia, the Valencian Country, the Balearic Islands, and also with the rest of the Western Mediterranean did not stop there, instead there was a more or less continuous exchange based on the ports and markets and meetings between fishermen of the Catalan sea. The level of popularization of certain coastal dishes such as paella, allioli or samfaina, easy to find even in the interior, is much more remarkable than any interior dish, such as trinxat or girella, which even in the 21st century are not habitual outside the Catalan Pyrenees.
Speaking of tomatoes, their acceptance throughout the Catalan Countries, without exception, indicates a high level of culinary interrelation in the Mediterranean of the Late Middle Ages, despite the fact that the tomato was rejected by the rich and loved by the poor. Thus, the tomato, despite being subsequent to the reconquest and repopulation of the Islands and the Valencian Country, became essential in the Mediterranean cuisine and especially in the cuisine of all the Catalan Countries.
● Condiments: Olive oil, salt, sugar, garlic, pepper, red pepper, almonds, parsley, saffron, cinnamon, rosemary, thyme, chocolate (unlike Occitan cuisine, Catalan cuisine traditionally does not use as many spices).
We can talk about three types of Catalan cuisine: the shared one, the original one and the unique one. The shared one is that which is shared with the rest of the Mediterranean. The original one was invented in the Catalan Countries, but is now present in the cuisine of other countries. The unique one includes those dishes or food that have not transferred out from the Catalan Countries.
● Paella – A dish that originates in the Ribera del Xúquer river, Valencia, and has spread to other regions, to most of the Catalan comarques, the Balearic Islands and Murcia from at least the 16th century according to Francisco de Paula Martí; also has a documented historical presence in Occitania (Nice). Nowadays it is offered in a large number of Spanish restaurants thanks to the mass tourism, and lately in other parts of the world: in Australia, the Philippines, Latin America (especially Mexico and Venezuela), the United States, and Western Europe. In France it has inspired paëlla, a plate of rice cooked with turmeric, saffron and chorizo.
● Coca – present all over the Mediterranean: in Italy as a pizza, in Greece, in Turkey as pide, in Armenia as lahmacun, in the Arab world in general just as bread.
● Samfaina, xanfaina, tomacat or mullador – present all over the world and deeply rooted in the Mediterranean, in English and French it is called Ratatouille, an almost identical version from Provence and marketed all over France. In Castilie it is called pisto and in southern Italy, the Neapolitan sauce is very similar to it.
● Cava – present in La Rioja and Extremadura, in the French region of Champagne as champagne , in the rest of France as crémant and in Italy as a spumante.
● Bunyols de bacallà (Cod fritters) – present in Spain and Portugal. Present also in some Central American countries as “accras” of cod which are almost the same, but with chili peppers added.
● Bacallà amb patates (Cod with potatoes), also present in other cuisines with different names such as: borrida, sacsacollons, bacalhau cozido, ‘a la grandi colloni, etc.
● Chicken with samfaina, and variants depending on the regions: chicken with pepper and tomato, chicken with tip (Girona), chicken a la Catalana (northern Catalonia), etc. There is also a similar version in the Basque Country.
● Partridges with cabbage, or in cabbage farcellets (bundles) and cooked on a frying pan. Typical of the Catalan Pyrenees, Occitania and some places in the north of France.
● Embotit (llonganissa, chorizo, etc.) – present in Spain, France (saucisson) and Italy (salame or luganega in Milanese). In Germany there is a great variety of deer meat sausages and in the Muslim countries they are made with turkey meat or lamb.
Nutrition● Buñuelos: sweet and savoury – the sweet ones are present around the world while savoury ones are made in Mediterranean countries.
● Meatballs or Boles de picolat (typical ones from North Catalonia, in catalan also called pilota) – present throughout the world.
● Mona de Pasqua – present in Spain, France and Italy (colomba di Pasqua) it is a traditional Easter cake often decorated with eggs.
● Coca de dacsa – present in Mexico as tortilla and in the Basque Country as talo, among others.
● Mató (or Brull, Brossat, recuit) – present in Spain as Requesón, in Provence comme brousse and in Italy Ricotta is very similar to it.
● Torró de Xixona, Alacant and Agramunt – a soft variety (nougat) is present in Occitania (Montélimar) and in Italy, and another even softer variety (halva) often with pistachios is found in the countries of the south of the Mediterranean.
● Panellets – they exist in Valladolid and other places of Castile with the name of empiñonadas. In Andalusia, the piñonates are very similar.
● Panellets – they exist in Valladolid and other places of Castile with the name of empiñonadas. In Andalusia, the piñonates are very similar.
● Orelletes – Also present in Castile as orejeulas and acute regions of France as oreillettes or bugnes. Its name and its shape changes in each region.
● Cargols a la llauna – snails are common in France, where they are prepared without sauce, only filled with butter, garlic and parsley.
● Arrop (arruix) or mostillo – sweet pastries based on must, they must be of Arab origin and are eaten in La Mancha, Murcia and Aragon.
● Llet merengada – cold and flavored milk, sometimes thick as in the case of Turkish Ayran, it is common in the Mediterranean to drink it against dehydration in the summer, as it refreshes and replenishes the lost nutrients. In Catalan Countries, it appears as cream or rice with milk, merengada has cinnamon and lemon flavour. It is sold in lletries or granjas, orxateria and ice cream parlors.
● Wine of Catalonia, Wine of the Valencian Country, and Wine of Roussillon – Wine is a worldwide product with some early presence in the Mediterranean.
● Mayonnaise – present throughout the world. There is a doubt if it comes from Maó or Mayenne, France.
● Chocolatada – present in Spain. In Italy the melted chocolate is also made although it is more liquid.
● Embotits: secallona, fuet, botifarra, botifarró, carn-i-xulla, bull and girella (this last one is common, also, in the Aragonese Ribagorça).
● Salads: Esqueixada or Esgarrat; Xató, escarole salad, crashed cod and romesco sauce; Empedrat, bean salad, diced tomato, tuna and olives; Catalan salad with very fresh lettuce and fine slices of the best local sausages.
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