Life slows down a bit around meal times in Barcelona. Food is an important part of the culture, and locals savor the chance to use mealtimes to socialize, often sitting outside on terraces in the sun. With the city’s proximity to the sea, there’s a lot of seafood here as well as legumes, veggies, and cured meats.

Take some time to sit back and enjoy the Mediterranean tastes of “Barna” during your semester or year abroad. As in the rest of Spain, meal times are generally a few hours later than we’re used to in the US, so keep that in mind when looking for somewhere to eat.

Don’t miss these top foods to try while you’re there:

1.    JAMÓN IBÉRICO. You’ll often come across aged pig legs hanging from restaurant ceilings or propped up on the bar in a jamonero (a wooden contraption that holds the leg for slicing). Jamón Ibérico is only made from Iberian pigs. If you eat meat, splurge on some of those paper-thin slices of jamón if you can; they will forever remind you of your trip.

2.    FIDEUÀ. Similar to the iconic paella found across Spain, fiduà is also cooked in a huge shallow pan. Instead of rice, it is made with short thin noodles and it also has seafood, like cuttlefish and shrimp, and fish stock.

3.    CALÇOTS. If you’re in Barcelona during calçot season (around December to March), don’t miss the opportunity to visit a calçotada and try these famous local winter greens dipped in sauce, often eaten alongside a BBQ.

4.    CREMA CATALANA. Crema Catalina is one of the oldest desserts in Europe, first mentioned in a medieval Catalan cookbook in 1324. It looks similar to the French crème brulee, but while the French version is flavored with vanilla bean, the Spanish take tastes like citrus and cinnamon. It also uses whole milk rather than cream and is cooked in a water bath on the stove instead of in the oven. Both are torched for a crispy top.

5.    ALL THE TAPAS. While the tapas culture doesn’t have quite the same level of popularity in Catalonia as in other parts of Spain, there are still many delicious smaller plates and picky foods to indulge in: Bombas (a deep-fried, meat-filled potato ball – one of the most popular tapas in Barcelona), escalivada (roasted peppers, onions and eggplant), tortilla de patatas (omelette with potatoes), croquetas (croquettes with various fillings), patatas bravas (spicy potatoes), padrón peppers (watch out for the surprise hot ones!), dried meat like fuet and chorizo, and olives.

There are many other delicious, interesting and unusual foods to try when you study abroad in Barcelona: Eat all the seafood (mussels, prawns, sardines, octopus, salt cod, grilled cuttlefish, chipiriones fritos which are tiny fried squid, etc.), Paella (Spain’s national dish, though it originates from Valencia), gazpacho (cold tomato soup), garbanzos (chickpeas), beans and lentils, oxtails and pan tomaquet (bread with tomato). Bon profit!

Have pics of something you’ve eaten abroad that you can’t easily find at home? Tag us on Instagram at @ASAStudyAbroad or #AwayWithASA. We’d love to see!