"What do you want for Christmas this year?" "I don't know, I have everything." That's usually the most common answer during the holidays. But there are some things we can never have enough of, and those are healthy, high-quality, and artisanal food products. They're always welcome in the pantry. We've put together a small selection to give you ideas on how to give them as gifts or add them to your letter to the Three Kings.

On average, each Catalan is spending around €738 more per year on food today if their consumption habits haven't changed, compared to January 2020, just before the outbreak of the pandemic. In less than five years, the cost of food has increased by 37% for the average family. The rise in food prices is one of the factors that has most impacted the majority of families, not only in Catalonia but throughout Europe, in the last five years. With the arrival of COVID-19 and the lockdowns in early 2020, the initial concern was the scarcity of certain products in supermarkets, but it soon became clear that these fears were unfounded and that—despite a few isolated exceptions—store supplies continued normally despite the severe shortages. Food prices didn't rise significantly that year.

It's lunchtime. On the table is a bowl of pumpkin soup and some slices of hake. With a menu like this, it's easy to guess—though there are always exceptions—what the child's reaction will be: huffs, whines, and a plea. They'd prefer French fries and a hamburger. What do we do? Educational psychologist Anna Serra Dolcet explains that, faced with such a situation—where the challenge of setting limits arises—parents experience a mix of emotions, ranging from frustration and worry about what will happen if their child doesn't eat, to guilt. A quick response is usually, "You're eating this because I said so," or "I'll cook something else because the important thing is that you end up eating." Between authoritarianism and permissiveness, however, there is, according to Serra, a space for dialogue (depending on the child's age), openness, and diverse suggestions, from which everyone will benefit.

A new event is back for food lovers. Barcelona is gearing up for another edition of the so-called gastronomic Black Friday, Foodie Black Week 2025. From October 27th to November 2nd, more than 450 restaurants, bars, hotels, cocktail lounges, and food markets in the metropolitan area will offer special menus and discounts. The event, now in its third year, is supported by public and private entities and aims to celebrate the city's culinary diversity and support the restaurant industry.

Who would eat a bowl of it in summer? The moment we write and pronounce its name, we start to sweat. However, cold creams are the dish of the season: subtle, refreshing, and capable of using up leftover ingredients from other prepared dishes. Creams are a sustainable resource: you have a piece of leek, an onion, and a pear, you add mineral water and a touch of perfume to highlight the flavors, and you've got one to eat with a spoon. In this sense, chef Carme Ruscalleda suggests cooking four traditional creams, classics of local and international cuisine that will always be relevant and, at the same time, allow for personal experimentation, so that each person can finish it with their own personal touch.

"I've felt judged by other families. They think it's a kind of punishment I'm imposing on my daughter, as if I were depriving her of things. But they don't make me feel bad; quite the opposite. I feel sorry for children who can't eat healthy," explains Daniela Reyes, mother of S.. She and her partner are among the families who avoid sugar in their children's diets.

The sea is endless, but consumers' wallets aren't. The ten most consumed fish in Catalonia in 2024 can be grouped according to a single characteristic: they are the most affordable. They also have other things in common, such as being small, traditionally cooked, and high-quality fish.

The most stolen product It's not alcohol anymore, it's oil. It's part of our diet, like bread and wine. We don't really know anything about oil because we're not used to tasting it, like the Andalusians, who are. We go to restaurants and dip bread in oil from Jaén (wonderful, of course). There are restaurants where they let us dip our own.

Often the things that mark our lives are determined by chance. In 2019, just a few days before the Vuelta Ciclista a Catalunya, the UAE Team Emirates team was left without a chef. They made contacts and ended up reaching out to Esteve Ramírez (Barcelona, ​​​​1990), who had worked in the kitchens of large restaurants and had training in sports nutrition. It was supposed to be a temporary solution, but today this Catalan chef has ended up in charge of feeding the team during the most important competitions. And this also includes the food for Tadej Pogacar, the winner of three Tours de France in the last five years.