Souvernir ideas
Please, do not only buy a keychain or I Love BCN T-shirt! I believe that to buy a good present is not only demonstration of love, but it's also a skill, which I believe I mastered after living here for 8 years. By now I bought Barcelona related presents for every friend, family member and every occasion. Here is an overview of meaningful gifts from Catalunya as well as tips for shops and markets.
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- Caganer (the pooping creatures)
- Abanicos (hand fans)
- Olive oil products
- Spices like azafran (saffron) or pimientón (red paprika)
- Torrons (almond based confection)
- Espadrilles (rope-soled shoes)
- Ceramics
- Panot products
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Walking in the streets of Barcelona you must have seen the Caganer shops full of various pooping creatures. If you did my tour you know the history and meaning behind it, if not you can book it and find out all about these quirky traditions here. Caganer is probably the most original souvenir you can get from Barcelona because first of all you only find these pooping creatures in Catalunya and second of all, they are highly customizable. Today you find pooping creatures made out of absolutely everyone and everything, all the famous politicians, celebrities, Star Wars or anime characters. While Caganer shops have the largest variety of creatures, you will find them also in every souvenir shop in Barcelona. Remember this is a good luck charm, so no reason to be offended! A perfect souvenir that requires some explanation though jaja!
Abanicos (fans) not just beautiful, traditional, but also super practical item that is essential in hot mediterranean summer. There are shops specialized in traditional or modern hand fans, which are unique, but can get quite pricey. Thrifty me would go to a souvenir shop at Carrer Corders and get a traditional dotted fans for 3e each for all my aunties and girlfriends in one go. It makes for a nice shelf piece in the winter and a perfect stylish accessory in the summer.
Spain being the biggest exporter of olive oil in the world (close to 50% global exports) also means it offers a large variety of not only delicious olives, bue also everything related. You will find a beautiful sets of gift packages including varieties of olives, oils, cosmetics or perfumerie. Olive reduces heart disease risk, fights inflammation, cholesterol, and supports brain health, so it makes for a very toughtful present. See shops like Chinata (with multiple location across the city) to be surprised what all you can use olive oil for!
Spices are another high-quality Spanish export with saffron being the most expensive spice in the world ranging between 10€ to 30€ per gram. Saffron is the essential ingredient for paella and it is an inseparable pat of Spanish cuisine as well as pimientón (paprika)​​ which you use in almost everything when it comes to Spanish cuisine. You can find pimientón dulce (sweet paprika), pimientón dulce (sweet&sour), pimientón picante (hot), pimientón de la vera - A protected designation of origin signifying the peppers are dried over holm oak wood, giving them a distinct smoky aroma and flavor. Best places to get your spices are definitely Markets such as Mercado de Santa Caterina or Mercado de la Llibertad, where you find biggest variety and nice gift packaging.
Torrons is a typical sweet that has a tradition all the way till 9th century Islamic Spain and while it's a must in a Christmass season, once you taste it you will definitely understand why the Torrons shops are busy whole year. It is a sweet dough made from almonds, honey, eggwhite and while the traditional one only include almonds, hazelnuts or walnuts, today the choice is limitless - candied fruit, chocolate, pistachios and anything that comes to mind. You will find Torrons in any supermarket, but the best ones will be of brand Vicens or 1880 with many locations in Barcelona.
Espadrilles (rope-soled shoes) is a perfect light summer shoe that you can find mainly in Catalan and Basque region.​ The word derives from the Catalan espardenya and refers to esparto grass, a plant indigenous to the south of Spain that is used to make ropes and basketry​. They usually have a canvas or cotton fabric upper and a flexible sole made of esparto rope. You can find them in a traditional shops such as 2espadrilles or Handmade Avarcas and Espadrilles which also provide workshops, where you can make your own!
Panot is a name of the winning tile design from 1906 which was used to cover the majority of Eixample district. When you look below your feet in Barcelona there is a strong chance you stand on top of one of them. Spain has a millenia old tile tradition with a multitude of beautiful design, but thanks to its widespread adoption Panot became a symbol of Barcelona with souvenir shops selling mugs, t--shirts, keychains, pots and anything you can think of with this design. You can also find your perfect present in Flor de Barcelona, which specializes in all-Panot products.
It is not only beautiful tiles you find in Barcelona, but you might have also noticed the shops full of beautiful ceramics products. This tradition is as old as Barcelona itself with design influences ranging from Iberian, Greek, Phoenician, Roman, Arab, basically all the cultures that have trespassed this region. Barcelona being home to so many unique artist such as Picasso, Dalí or Miró is also very very visible in all the quirky and creative ceramics artwork. Just the visit to the shop like Art Escudellers or Casa Ceramica is a fastastical journey with all the creatures and artworks representing Barcelona and its artistic tradition.
