Subsistence cooking, a seasonal product or an old recipe are today mixed with sophistication and the most refined touches. Experience some of these Catalan traditions and you will no doubt be coming back for more.Hearty breakfastNothing better than starting the day with a meal in a popular food establishment. Here, traditional Catalan cuisine was born between the 18th and 19th centuries, so grab your knife and fork and try a capipota, some stewed cheeks or some beans with cod.Enjoy a vermouthLunchtimes in Catalonia are extraordinary. It's the moment to take a break, meet friends or relax. It's time to serve yourself a vermouth from the barrel, add some soda, accompany it with some anchovies or some olives and enjoy life. Don't miss one of the most Catalan traditions offered by wineries and vermouth bars.Rice or paellaIt is a family dish for Sunday, from humble origins and very affordable, which is already a classic throughout the country and not only on the coast. Explore the menus, look beyond seafood dishes and delve into classic paella or brothy rice dishes with octopus and bacon, rabbit and snails... There are so many variations.CalçotadaOnly in Catalonia could a meal as simple as cooking some onions over a flame, dipping them in romesco sauce and combining them with a grilled meat take on such an epic social and cultural dimension. This seasonal tradition born in Valls and the countryside of Tarragona is celebrated between January and April and is quite a gastronomic phenomenon.Sweets and cakesThe Catalans can trace their calendar of festivities just by looking at the sweets we eat according to tradition. From the cake served on the Kings' Day in January to the panellets for All Saints' Day, through to the lardon cakes for Carnival. Each village has its own sweet, and in the patisseries we find some of the oldest establishments in the country.Vintage and new wineWe are a wine country and this can be seen at the end of summer, when the harvest is celebrated. Popular festivals are organised all over the country with new wine as the protagonist. The barrels are opened and the young wine of the year is tasted. Visit Catalonia from September to November and you will find many moments to toast life!New oilIn the country of olives we could not underestimate one of the most precious products of our gastronomy. Visiting a cooperative or a small producer to buy new oil or first-pressed green oil is a custom among many Catalans. From December to January, villages and cooperatives celebrate festivals dedicated to this product and allow you to taste the country's range of excellent oils.Unexpected eveningsA craft beer, vermouth and tapas are the protagonists of Catalan sunsets. Urban life offers the latest culinary trends and a world-leading creative cocktail bar. Taste the cities and relish in days that never end.Sauces galoreCatalan cuisine is based on a repertoire of unique and original sauces. Since medieval times, we have enriched our dishes with stir-fries, aioli, romesco, ratatouille or diced vegetables. You will find them in stews, roasts, surf and turf, rice, grilled dishes, fish broths and all other kinds of dishes.