What to bring back as a gift
Edible souvenirs from Tarragona: Siurana olive oil, jamón, cava, almonds, jams, cheeses, turrón and tinned fish.
If you’d like to take home something more than an ordinary fridge magnet — a little piece of Catalonia — look to the local gourmet products.
🫒 Olive oil
Tarragona is close to the Siurana DOP area, one of the best-known olive-oil-producing regions in Spain. The oil from here has a rich, fruity flavour with a slight peppery kick and is considered among the best in the country.
💡 If you’re visiting in autumn, be sure to buy new-harvest oil (aceite nuevo). It’s especially aromatic and considered a real delicacy.
🥩 Jamón Ibérico
One of the great gastronomic symbols of Spain. For a gift, it’s easiest to buy jamón already sliced and vacuum-packed — that way it travels well.
🍾 Cava
Catalonia is the home of cava, Spain’s famous sparkling wine. The Penedès region, not far from Tarragona, produces most of the country’s best cavas.
Cava makes a great gift and is often noticeably cheaper than comparable sparkling wines in other countries.
🥜 Nuts
Spain is famous for its nuts, especially almonds. Look out for Marcona almonds, considered among the best in the world for their sweet flavour and tender texture.
🍑 Jams and marmalades
Catalonia makes excellent jams from local fruit. I especially recommend:
- peach;
- apricot;
- orange.
Also worth trying is traditional membrillo — a dense quince paste usually served with cheese.
🧀 Spanish cheeses
If you can carry food in a cool bag, buy an aged Manchego or one of the local Catalan cheeses. They go beautifully with quince paste and a glass of cava.
🍫 Turrón
One of the best-known Spanish sweet souvenirs. Classic almond turrón is sold all year round, and at Torrons Vicens (Google Maps) you’ll find both traditional and modern signature flavours.
💡 My perfect set of edible souvenirs from Tarragona: a bottle of Siurana olive oil, a bottle of cava, Jamón Ibérico, Marcona almonds, turrón and a jar of good orange or apricot jam. It captures the taste of Catalonia perfectly and makes a wonderful gift for your loved ones.
🐟 Tinned fish
Spain is known not only for fresh seafood but also for some of the best tinned fish in the world. It’s a great souvenir: it keeps for a long time, travels easily and is of high quality.
Look out for:
- 🐟 anchovies from Cantabria (Anchoas del Cantábrico) — considered the best in Spain for their rich flavour and tender texture;
- 🐠 sardines in olive oil;
- 🦑 squid and cuttlefish in their own sauce or ink;
- 🐙 octopus;
- 🦪 mussels in escabeche (Mejillones en escabeche) — one of the most popular Spanish tinned products;
- 🐚 cockles (Berberechos) — small shellfish considered a real delicacy.
💡 The best selection of tinned fish can usually be found in the gourmet food hall at El Corte Inglés (Google Maps). Spanish tinned fish isn’t “camping food” — it’s a genuine gourmet product that many restaurants serve as a starter in its own right, with a glass of wine or cava.
🌐 Translated from Russian; the translation hasn't been proofread yet.