Buying Saffron in Barcelona

[blintz]

We'll be in Barcelona in two weeks and have promised everyone in Boston to bring back saffron. Where's a good place to buy quality saffron threads at a good price? We're staying Gracia, but of course will be running all over the city. Thanks!

[erica]

It has probably been mentioned numerous times here, but La Ribera in Born has good prices on saffron and other sought-after foodstuffs. You should be aware of the different qualities before you shop. (All red threads (best); some yellow threads, etc etc; we had a tutorial at a stand in Valencia's Central Market that sells only saffron but I've forgotten most of what I learned)

http://www.worldsofflavorspain.com/no...

Pulverize in your fingers before using; do not add whole threads to liquid, as instructed in many recipes.

[Nyleve]

I'll second La Ribera. It's a no-frills shop that seems to do a lot of business with restaurants. They keep their saffron stashed away in the glass-fronted booth where you pay for your purchases. The price was good and the saffron I bought there was really excellent. They also have good smoked paprika in ridiculously large containers. I asked a friend who went to Barcelona about a month ago to bring me a jar and I am now the proud owner of a lifetime supply of the stuff.

http://www.laribera-sa.es/

[PBSF]

La Ribera does a lots of restaurant trade and besides saffron have excellent well priced canned seafood, etc. If you are looking for some excellent and beautifully packaged food gifts, visit the nearby Gispert on c/Sombrerers. Worth just to browse. One of the best and largest food shop in Barcelona is Colmado Quilez on the corner of c/Arago and Ramblas de Catalunya in the Eixample.

[smilingal]

Please tell me what else to look for in Spain to buy as souvenirs! Thanks!

[Nyleve]

As above, smoked paprika. Also excellent canned fish products. And if you can get it home, good serrano ham and manchego cheese.

[erica]

Quite a few lists from various posters on this thread:

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/740782

For pimentón, smoked paprika from the La Vera Valley, look for the agridulce variety, as I have never been able to find this in the US. A new find for me a few months ago was jarred "tomato jam." Marcona almonds are easy to find, too.

[Mike R.]

Are the La Chinita and La Odalisa brands worth their salt? The former is La Vera origin, the latter looks like Murcia.

[Mike R.]

Oops, I meant to buy smoked and got sweet.

[SnackHappy]

Smoked and sweet are not mutually exclusive. In fact, the best smoked pimenton is the sweet kind. I also like the hot kind, but the agri-dulce leaves me cold.

As for the La Vera vs. Murcia. The pimenton from La Vera is the famous smoked pimenton everyone talks about. Pimenton from Murcia is not smoked and made from different peppers.

And La Chinita is fine. It's the one I buy here in Canada. I don't know anything about La Odalisa brand.

[smilingal]

I'm confused - should I be looking for smoked pimenton from La Vera --- but is that one and the same as agriculce?

[debbiel]

Pimenton de la Vera will be smoked paprika. There are three major types of this smoked paprika: hot (picante), agridulce (bittersweet), and dulce (sweet). I say get some of each, though I use my agridulce the least.

[smilingal]

Thanks, debbie, for the lesson. It is now clearer - and I will be looking for the hot and sweet.

[erica]

La Odalisa is non-smoked pimenton from Murcia; it comes in a can so pretty that I cannot bear to throw them away.

When shopping in Spain, I concentrate on the smoked pimenton from the La Vera Valley (a lovely place to visit, with a historic parador in Jarandilla La Vera). I use the dulce most often, followed by the picante and then the agridulce, which is not easy to locate in the US. I have not noticed that the brand makes much difference, but I would check the date, usually printed on the paper label that seals the can.

[Mike R.]

Good to know.

The cans are gorgeous and their dates are at least a year out through Spring 2014. I am a stickler for freshness and check the back of the shelf first.

[caganer]

Pimenton de Murcia is made from pimientos ñoras, which are pretty hard to find and always expensive (they're a component of many rices/paellas).
I think it's great stuff to have, especially if you don't have time to soak dried ñoras for salsa romesco or xato.

[erica]

Thanks for that last tip...I never thought of using Murcia pimenton in place of ñoras in Romesco. Noras are, indeed, quite pricey and not always easy to find in the US.

[SnackHappy]

Indeed. I have some pimentón de Murcia in my pantry for exactly that purpose. It's more bitter than the ñora pulp, but it's very convenient.

[PBSF]

couple of earlier threads on this topic:
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/801190
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/646195
There are couple good mercats in Gracia: Mercat de l'Abaceria Central and Mercat Lessep.