Catalonian Cuisine

• Catalan cuisine is influenced as much by Spanish cuisine as it is by cuisines from other varied locales, including Balearic, Valencian, and Southern French. This mixture reinforces the separate cultural identity that Catalonia retains from the rest of Spain, and has contributed to the growth of experimental techniques there.
  Geographic disparity also plays a role in Catalan cooking. The state ranges from coastal regions to mountainous regions, and this is reflected in the variety of dishes, from pork-based stews to dishes dominated by fish and coastal vegetables. A central sauce in Catalan cooking is Allioli, a sauce made of garlic and olive oil.
  Some other important dishes in Catalan cuisine include cod served with pine nuts and raisins, escalivada (grilled vegetables), and embotits, a term used for different types of pork sausage. Catalan cuisine is very Mediterranean, utilizing citrus and olive oil. The basic nature of its tastes (savory and hearty, sweet and creamy, earthy) lend themselves very well to the deconstructivist nature of molecular gastronomy, as evidenced by el Bulli and countless copycat restaurants.