Gastronomy:

L’Alt Penedès region, and by extension all historical Penedès which is not located on the coast,  finds its gastronomic roots in the tradition and way of life of the countryside. The life of the farmer had its basis in cereal, vineyard and olive tree cultivation and farm animals. While the three first products formed the foundation of a subsistence economy for family consumption, poultry and the rest of the farmyard animals came under the care of the women, who took them to the market of Vilafranca to be sold, returning with needles and threads along with cod, conger or salted sardines.

 

This age old commercial activity – whose axis was the Saturday market in Vilafranca – lead to the Penedès region being regarded as the poultry market of Barcelona. The Vilafranca market was also known for its garlic, being the most important garlic market in Catalonia for decades. The Conger Fair, celebrated at the beginning of Lent, was also important, as were the poultry fairs, which were celebrated just before the Town Festivity. Aside from these the Christmas Festivities in the Fira de Sant Tomàs or Fira del Gall are two of today’s most renowned fairs.

For that reason the town centre of Vilafranca bears some references to these products, such as: the Plaça de l’Oli (The Oil Square); El Firal (The Trade Fair); La Plaça dels Porcs (The Pigs’ Square) –currently known as Plaça Milà i Fontanals; La Plaça de Sant Joan – now known as the Plaça de la Verdura (The Vegetable Square); and La Plaça del Blat (The Wheat Square) - nowadays officially named Plaça de la Constitució but popularly referred to as Plaça de L’Aviram (The Poultry Square).

Modern gastronomy contains influences stemming from all these places and life styles. Such is the case with Xató, a meal which was typically prepared for outings, to be eaten with a group of people on a free day. Originally the meal was probably a little spicier than the modern recipe. Although the folklore specialist Joan Amades maintains that it was prepared in summer, the Restaurant Cal Vicenç, in Vilafranca, considers it to be a winter meal. Xatonades from Ca L’Abadal in Santa Margarida i Els Monjos was also famous. This dish was linked to the farming tradition a long time before it became known in coastal towns such as Sitges, Vilanova i la Geltrú or El Vendrell.
 

Another dish stemming from the wheat and agriculture tradition is Coques de Recapte, a savoury pastry with vegetables and meat or fish from the sea. It is important to take into account that L’Alt Penedès has a rich land, with plenty of water which comes from wells and norias, as well as famous fountains, such as the ones in Sant Quintí, Gelida, La Bleda (Sant Martí Sarroca), Castellví de la Marca, Torrelles de Foix or Pontons. The vegetables produced in these lands are unforgetable, some of them with an extraordinary presence in local gastronomy, such as Calçots, known as Ceballots in L’Alt Penedès.

Of the farmyard animals the rabbit warrants a special mention. The historian Sabaté Mill considered this dish to be specific to this region: roasted legs and backs on festivity days, the rest of the time rabbit cooked with rice. Sabaté Mill also considered La Botifarra amb Mongetes to be another dish which was specific to the Penedès region, albeit similar to that known elsewhere as Llonganissa or Fesol.  One of the most curious aspects of the gastronomic field is the wether (a castrated ram) from Tarragona which was studied by Professor Emili Giralt i Raventós. Bigger bodied than the lambs currently consumed in the restaurants of the region it belonged to a mountain breed and gave prestige to the flock of Sant Sadurní d’Anoia, as its meat was very tasty.

 

The Penedès cockerel has also maintained a hegemonic role in the region’s gastronomy. It has a succulent meat, the hens from the same breed also producing brown eggs, which are highly valued. The famous Anec Mut, alsofrom the Penedès region, is very appreciated as well. All these meats have a specific gastronomic value in the typical dishes which go from roast pieces to macaroni with cod and other varieties of this fish (normally eaten during Lent) and conger escudella or rice with broth, normally accompanied by rabbit or cod.

Not to be forgotten are the traditional desserts, starting with the sweet pastries of Vilafranca (Coques), the Gelidencs from Gelida, Coques de les Viudes or Noiets from Sant Sant Sadurní and Carquinyolis from Sant Quintí or Torrelles de Foix, as well as many other specialities from the region’s many bakers, alon with specific proposals from it’s chocolate professionals. 

This traditional gastronomy has also been preserved in high quality restaurants and festive dishes, characteristic of L’Alt Penedès. Restaurants try to preserve the high quality of this traditional cuisine, adapting it to modern times and the innovations of nouvelle cuisine.

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