Barcelona's Cuisine: Explore Recipes from My Study Abroad

Studying abroad is one of those experiences that completely opens you up to a new way of seeing the world—and one of the best ways I connected with local life in Barcelona was through food. I’ve always believed that the flavors of a place can tell you more than a guidebook ever could: how people live, what they value, and the stories they pass down.

While I was living in Barcelona, I got to explore Spanish food in all kinds of settings—sharing small plates of tapas in noisy markets, cozying up with comforting dishes in tucked-away cafés, and occasionally cooking at home when I was craving something familiar with a local twist. I wanted to find a way to remember those meals and share them with family and friends back home, so I started a project: a website called My Spanish Table.

The idea was simple—collect my favorite Spanish recipes, pair them with photos I took during my time abroad, and turn it into something that felt a bit like a digital scrapbook. Each recipe on the site ties back to a moment or memory, whether it’s the first time I tried pa amb tomàquet or the time I accidentally ordered three versions of the same dish in one meal (it happens). There’s a personal story behind everything, which makes the whole site feel a little more lived-in and real.

You’ll find classics like paella, pan con tomate, and patatas bravas—recipes I love not just for how they taste, but for where they took me. I’ve included printable versions too, in case you want to try them at home. If you’re curious about Spanish cooking or just want to try something new, I’d love for you to check it out. It’s a little slice of my study abroad experience, shared one dish at a time.

¡Buen provecho!