Backstory VI: Barcelona beyond the stereotypes

It's more lighthearted than it sounds

There are a lot of different Barcelonas obviously.

But in travel, there’s still a fairly consistent image portrayed. A lot of sun and sand and sea, a little hedonistic, with a strong Catalan identity, overtourism a massive issue, but people still have a good work life balance —the sheer number of people having a drink outside in a plaza daily is hands down the most commonly quoted piece of “evidence” to back up this generalisation. (Maybe I’ll write about this particular image and why writers love to roll it out—me included—another time.)

Yes, all that can be and is true to a certain degree.

Barcelona like other cities, is also a crucible for change, so some of these stereotypes are being challenged and a few of them will be eradicated and merge into new ones. Whether its good or bad depends on who you are.

When I talked to Rasoterra’s chef Adriana Carcelén for a piece I did about veganism, she told me she had lost friends when she became vegan and it was initially difficult for her to talk to family as well. Originally from Alicante, she first became aware of what it could mean for your health while living in London.

Others I spoke to had decided to stop eating animal products for health reasons (including my partner) but environmental impacts and rising awareness about animal ethics were also factors. One woman from a small village near Valencia that I chatted to made a conscious decision to not eat animal products because she didn’t think it was right. But she faced similar pressures as Adriana. Her family still doesn’t really understand, and she compromises when she goes out to eat with friends, sometimes ordering a dish with cheese or eggs.

Notably, anyone who has some kind of dietary restriction because of their faith and needs to eat halal or kosher food for example, also tend to seek out vegan and vegetarian places so they can have options that aren’t Middle Eastern or South Asian and still sample Spanish food. Catalans and Spaniards of North African or Indian, Pakistani or Bangladeshi heritage have long had to deal with this, and sometimes people might view this as a reason as to why they aren’t integrated. How can you be Catalan or Spanish and not eat jamón?

One of my old flatmate’s friends got married in Israel (his now wife is Israeli and he’s from Salamanca) and the groomsmen were determined to bring ham into the country for the reception. Spanish jamón, not the kosher stuff. On his wedding day how could he not eat jamón?

When the Minister for Consumer Affairs in 2022 told people that pork products should be consumed less because of the negative environmental footprint, people gave him a lot of shit and thought the whole thing was a conspiracy. A Spanish Minister of Consumer Affairs. Advocating to not eat jamón.

You get the picture. But here’s the thing, a growing number of people living in Barcelona or visiting, are vegan. So the divide between those that think you need to be or do things a certain way and those who aren’t, is getting more porous and the conversations are becoming more nuanced (finally). And that can only be a good thing.

On a practical level, if you’re coming to Barcelona and you’re vegan, don’t be afraid. You will not starve. You won’t have to live off french fries, falafel, or two-minute noodles.

There are many more places to enjoy especially some great bakeries (not very healthy but hey, you’re on holiday), and here’s a few to start off with: