Cooking/Meals

An activity that I noticed important to Catalan culture is cooking and the meals in general. Whether it’s creating traditional food like the fideua, Calçots, or Crema Catalana, this is a pass time that is a way of keeping culture alive, as well as bringing groups together. My host mother always cooked for us and had even invited my friends over to host a dinner for them. Meal time is an important time for connection. It’s a time to talk with the family about their days and check up on everyone. It’s also a time to go out with friends and socialize. Comparing dinner in Barcelona to dinner in the United States is completely opposite in my opinion. My family very rarely made food for everyone, and we especially didn’t all sit down at a table to eat together. The food we did eat most times was something quick and simple, especially things that could be microwaved. My time in Barcelona, my host family took extra time to make fresh meals, and we always sat at the table together and had great conversation. It was the one time during the day that we would all be able to see and talk with eachother, and I wish this activity was more important in the States.