Some of the great food treats of the region are the dishes known as Tapas. Originally these were small disks of plain bread which were placed over the wine glass to keep out the dust, but have since evolved into a myriad of mouth watering snacks which can be sampled as starters to the main meal or eaten as a meal on their own.

Fishing is, of course, one of the main industries in the area and fish dishes are therefore a speciality. Many fine fish restaurants are to be found in the coastal towns and villages all serving slightly different variations on the regional specialities.

Wine is cheap, plentiful and good, and while perhaps not as well known as Rioja, there are still some fine local wines to be sampled from powerful reds to cool-fermented whites. At the end of the 19th century, Catalunya imported the Champagne technique for the production of sparkling wines, and today it produces 99% of Spain’s Cava.