Jeralyn Gerba
On my first day in Barcelona, a friend and I discovered a gastonomic gold mine: a small, unassuming grocer carrying super old-school Spanish products. We immediately purchased incredibly cumbersome cans of Bonilla a la Vista potato chips, which we then had to carry around in our arms for the rest of the day. (Turns out gallon-size cans of chips are hard to fit in a purse.) To our amusement, the potato chips turned out to be our key to the city: Those hard-to-find patatas cans were a real conversation starter for old people on the street (who flagged us down), and cooks at the tapas joint (who gave us VIP treatment at the bar). I brought one of the unwieldy things to the Fathom HQ office, and we still talked about them months after the last crumbs disappered from the bottom of the tin bucket.
And that was just the tip of the culinary souvenir iceberg. A trip to Mallorca was equally as memorable for the goodies I procured from Café Sa Plaça, a sunny bistro and shop at the Park Hyatt Mallorca. The unadulterated ingredients. The adorable packaging. Recently I thought about recreating a Spanish dinner party in my stateside kitchen. With the help of La Tienda (a fantastic resource for Spanish foods) and Amazon (Prime in a pinch), making a fiesta at home can happen in no time at all. Consider this an all-you-need shopping list.
Flor de Sal d’Es Trenc
Flaky crystals of salt are harvested from the marshes of Mallorca and infused with the likes of rose, hibiscus, and olives. Sprinkle on an arugula salad, goat cheese, or fine piece of fish. ($14.50)
Ortiz Anchovies
A beautiful, simple app for your dinner table: Pop open can, spear with tiny fork, eat with cracker and sprig of parsley. ($20)
Tetilla Cheese
A buttery, soft cow's milk cheese with a show-stopping silhouette. Shaped like a tear and sliced like a pie, it's great with a slice of apple and drizzle of honey. ($18)
Castillo De Canena Smoked Organic Olive Oil
Extra-virgin gold infused with oak-beech-birch wood and poured into a hard-to-forget baby blue bottle. The Castillo de Canena estate has been producing the award-winning stuff since 1780. Pair with crusty bread and a glass of red. ($24)
Iberico de Bellota Sliders
The famous Spanish pork has notes of acorn, grass, and herbs. It's seasoned with salt and pepper, prepped as juicy patties, and shipped frozen to your door. ($20 for six)
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