Breakfast
How the locals have breakfast: bocadillo, tortilla, fresh pastries and Catalan coca.
Spaniards eat a fairly simple but delicious breakfast. If you want to experience the local cuisine, skip the usual European breakfast and try what the locals actually eat.
🥪 Bocadillo — the main Spanish sandwich
Bocadillo is the most popular breakfast and snack in Spain. It’s made on a crusty baguette that’s almost always rubbed with fresh tomato (pa amb tomàquet) and drizzled with good olive oil. This simple way of preparing bread is considered one of the trademarks of Catalan cuisine.
The most popular fillings:
- 🐖 Jamón Ibérico — be sure to try this one;
- 🥓 Jamón Serrano;
- 🧀 cheese;
- 🥚 Spanish potato tortilla;
- 🐟 tuna with tomato;
- 🌭 Catalan fuet or longaniza sausage.
If you’re only going to try one bocadillo, go for Jamón Ibérico. It’s one of the main gastronomic symbols of Spain.
🥔 Tortilla de Patatas
Another classic Spanish breakfast is tortilla. Despite the name, it’s not a Mexican flatbread but a thick omelette made of potatoes, eggs and sometimes onion.
It’s eaten both on its own and inside a bocadillo. It’s very popular with locals and makes for a hearty breakfast.
🥐 Fresh pastries
In many cafés, locals have a croissant or a pain au chocolat with a cup of coffee for breakfast. If you’re after a sweet breakfast, be sure to stop by one of the local bakeries — Tarragona has very strong artisan baking traditions.
🫓 What is coca?
Coca is one of the most traditional dishes in Catalonia. It’s an open flatbread made of thin dough that can be either savoury or sweet.
The savoury versions are somewhere between a focaccia and a very thin pizza. They’re made with roasted vegetables, mushrooms, onion, anchovies, cheese or sausage.
Sweet cocas are most often made with cream, fruit, nuts or candied fruit, and are traditionally prepared for holidays.
💡 My tip: even if you’re not planning to shop at El Corte Inglés, stop by its gourmet food section. It’s one of the best places in Tarragona to buy quality Spanish products and unusual edible souvenirs.
💡 A typical Catalan breakfast is a cup of milky coffee (café con leche) and a bocadillo with jamón or tortilla. Simple, delicious, and exactly how many locals start their day.
🌐 Translated from Russian; the translation hasn't been proofread yet.