Making your way through the tree-lined street of Barcelona, you might find yourself overtaken by the many aromas of the hundreds of fruits on display in market stalls. All day long, market vendors stand and watch over their fruit, waiting for visitors to give in to these tropical delights. Many of these fruit stalls sell freshly squeezed juices; each fruit is paired with a different counterpart in every cup, resulting in various juices or even a popsicle!
Fresh fruit is a lifestyle for the locals. From fruit-flavored drinks to fruit-centered dishes and desserts, fruit is always a component of the menu in any restaurant. No matter where you go, whether it’s a large Mercado like Alcampo or a small supermercat nestled between shops on busy streets, you’re guaranteed to find aromatic oranges, strawberries, raspberries, and more. You could even go a couple blocks down to your grocery store and squeeze your own bottle of orange juice to take home.
There is a tremendous emphasis on tropical fruits, and you are bound to find people enjoying passionfruit, mangos, pineapple, and many other fruits daily. Grapes are the national fruit of Spain due to the abundant wine production; however, that aesthetic doesn’t reflect the fruits eaten here in Barcelona. Is it a cultural difference between the already autonomous region of Catalonia and its mother country of Spain? Nothing’s certain except that fruit is paramount in Spain, making it easily accessible and affordable.
