The name “samfaina” comes from “samfònia”, which, in turn, comes from the Latin “symphonia” – symphony. Behind this beautiful name lies a recipe of Catalan-Valencian origin, based on diced eggplant and zucchini with the addition of fried minced garlic, onion and grated tomatoes with olive oil. Sometimes green and red peppers are added, as well as some herbs such as thyme or rosemary. Samfaina usually accompanies fish or meat main course. Enjoy your samfaina meal!
According to the award ceremony of The World´s 50 Best Bars, three bars from Barcelona entered the top ten list. Paradiso has won the title of the best bar in Europe and the best bar in the world 2022. The only way to enter Paradiso is through “the pastrami door” and then you find yourself in an amazing Gaudí-style atmosphere. By the way, only for those who know, in this speakeasy bar there is one more speakeasy room – a minibar. Ask the waiter on your next visit.
And save those links:
#1 – Paradiso https://www.instagram.com/paradiso_barcelona/
#3 – Sips https://www.instagram.com/sips.barcelona/
#7 – Two Schmucks https://www.instagram.com/two.schmucks/
Julia Chesnokova for Hotel Alabriga
Castañada is one of the most famous and revered festivals in Catalonia. It is celebrated on the night of October 31, as well as on November 1 in honor of All Saints. This is the Catalan and Aragonese version of Castañada, and here chestnuts are accompanied by typical Catalan dishes.
The roots of this holiday go back to the 18th century, when it became common to eat chestnuts, sweet potatoes and fruits during the commemoration of deceased relatives.
During the Castañada festival, the streets of the Catalan region are filled with chestnut stalls, where you can buy freshly roasted chestnuts, sweet potatoes, fruit or candied chestnuts. All this is accompanied by the traditional drink of this festival: with muscatel.
Julia Chesnokova for Hotel Alabriga
The Jornades Gastronomiques de l’Ametlla de Mar are a kind of exhibition of products from the local market and a presentation of the best recipes from its restaurateurs. The protagonists of this event are the different types of fish from the local coast and the local chefs, who with their methods, both classic and modern, will delight the guests with a variety of fish dishes throughout the whole gastronomic festival from October 7th through 16th.
Julia Chesnokova for Hotel Alabriga
Additional information: Visitametllademar.com
The World’s 50 Best Restaurants award, established two decades ago, has now become one of the most important events in the restaurant world. Two Spanish restaurants managed to become one of the five best restaurants in the world according to the award. First place out of 50 establishments was taken by Danish restaurant Geranium from chef Rasmus Kofoed, which climbed from second to first place. The third place went to the Barcelona restaurant Disfrutar. And the fourth position was taken by DiverXo, which climbed from number 20 to the top 5. Bittor Arginzonis’ Asador Etxebarri (Biscayne), which was considered one of the favourites, was also singled out, but dropped from the third place to the sixth. Also on the list are Spanish restaurants Elkano (Getaria, Guipuzcoa), in the 16th place; Mugaritz (Herrenteria, Guipuzcoa), one of the oldest in the ranking, the 21st place; and Quique Dacosta (Denia, Alicante), the 42nd place.
Julia Chesnokova for Hotel Alabriga
Add info:
Cincodias.elpais.com
Cocinayvino.com
Albertogranados.com
Tendencybook.com
To continue our acquaintance with wineries and olive oil producers in the Empordà region, let’s talk about a cooperative of small wine and olive oil producers called Empordàlia. This union, in their own words, is based on the love of the Tramontana wind, rocky ground, short torrential rains and salty sea air.
Empordàlia offers many interesting activities, excursions and courses, such as the wine and chocolate pairing workshop (see link below). They also have two agro-shops in the vicinity of Girona and one online store where even experienced gourmets will find a lot of ideas for gifts or souvenirs.
Julia Chesnokova for Hotel Alabriga
Today we would like to brief you on Salar d’Arbúcies olive oil that is manufactured in the town with the same name. Its history is quite unique. Thanks to the support of the Agro-Department of Catalonia, as well as of some European organizations, a team of growers carried out a series of genetic, agronomic and ecological studies of the olive trees. As a result, they were able to select one tree, which later became the ancestor of the Salar d’Arbúcies variety, which is now produced in the region declared a UNESCO reserve. The oil is very fruity, and its aroma is described as complex, crunchy, bitter and fresh. It can often be found in restaurants and gastro shops on the Costa Brava. The history of its creation and production adds special meaning to its taste : good olive oil should be slightly bitter.
Julia Chesnokova for Hotel Alabriga
La Verema del Cava is a festival that takes place in late summer and early autumn among the wine cellars of the Penedès region. This is how local winemakers celebrate the harvest.
A huge number of events dedicated to winemaking are planned for this time. The Association of Winemakers Specializing in the Production of Cava also offers a very interesting program. Musical dinners among the vineyards, breakfasts in nature, dances, concerts, workshops and even Nordic walking. All this, of course, with a cava tasting.
But if you don’t have a chance to go all the way down to Penedès, don’t worry! ALÀBRIGA has an excellent selection of cavas to offer you !
Julia Chesnokova for Hotel Alabriga
Mediterranean Indian summer is in full swing, which means that the season of tomatoes, those magnificent tomatoes that are grown on Catalan soil, is also in full swing.
Trying the pear-shaped tomatoes from Girona, also known as pink tomatoes, is an absolute must. They have great aroma and rich taste that turn any salad into a real feast. There are not so many seeds of this variety, and therefore those pink tomatoes are especially valuable and loved by those who pay attention to the product quality.
OK, we eat tomatoes all year round, but the real ones, with incredible taste, you can buy in the local markets from mid-June to early autumn. And the best time is undoubtedly August and September. So, go for it!
Julia Chesnokova for Hotel Alabriga
September 10th & 11th. The Honey Festival at Ribes de Freser is an excellent opportunity to taste local honey, learn about its varieties, origins and flavours, as well as taste the products and enjoy exhibitions and workshops dedicated to beekeeping and honey products.
There will be workshops on making cosmetics, candles, natural air fresheners, an exhibition of bees and a giant bubble workshop.
An open-air screening of the documentary “Much more than honey” is scheduled for Saturday the 10th at 9 pm (Market Square, free entrance, pre-registration required).
More information and registration on the event website: Festa de la mel 2022
Julia Chesnokova for Hotel Alabriga