With the arrival of autumn and its characteristic rains comes the season of mushrooms, or, as they say in Catalonia, ‘bolets’. During these months, many restaurants offer this local product as an essential part of their dishes, achieving the most original dishes where mushrooms are the protagonists. That is why, in this publication, we are going to introduce you to the best restaurants on Costa Dorada, Costa Brava and Barcelona, where you can eat the most exquisite ‘bolets’.
If you want to enjoy this wonderful gastronomic experience, get around with Shuttle2Sun‘s shared transfer services and private transfer services, low-cost and sustainable. They will take you to your destination from Barcelona airport, Barcelona port, Girona airport and Camp de Tarragona AVE train station.
What types of ‘bolets’ you can find
Among the most common ‘bolets’ that you can find in Catalonia, the ‘llenega negra’, or black hygrophore, is one of the most highly valued by restaurants, and is normally found in groups and always in the same places.
Also, the camagroc, or orange chanterelle, which is found in pine forests; the rovelló, or wine-blooded chanterelle, one of the best known at a gastronomic level.
And the rovelló-pinetell, very similar to the previous one, one of the most abundant mushrooms in Catalonia.
On the other hand, the fredolic, also known as negrito or negrilla, has a greyish colour, which can be found even in December, when it is colder.
Another edible mushroom is the carlet, or scarlet hygrophorous, which is usually preserved in salt or brine for later use. Finally, there is the trumpet of death, which is dark in colour, with thin and very fibrous flesh.
The harvesting period is mainly between late summer and late autumn. Some of the mushrooms mentioned, such as the trumpet of death or the rovelló, can be found as early as August, and others, such as the llenega negra and the pinetell, can be harvested as late as December.
The benefits of boletus in our diet
The Mediterranean diet has been recognised as the best way of eating because of the benefits it brings to our health and well-being. Among the foods consumed, those of vegetable origin stand out, and the predilection for those that are seasonal and local. Mushrooms are one of them.
Boletus are a very versatile food that can be combined in any type of dish, whether grilled, to enhance their flavour; to create sauces that give a special taste to pasta or rice; or sautéed, with noodles, in Asian cuisines. They are also used in garlic; in beef stews; in creams; in rice dishes; or as a filling for pies, among countless other options. Increasingly, we are seeing this product in a greater number of creations, whether in international restaurants, as well as in local Catalan, Mediterranean or even Italian cuisine.
Some of the benefits of eating these products are the large amount of fibre they contain, helping to regulate our intestinal transit. They are also rich in minerals, which keep our immune system in check; they have antioxidant properties; and they are anti-inflammatory. They also provide us with a wide range of vitamins, benefiting our organism.
Enjoy the best boletus in Barcelona, Costa Dorada and Costa Brava! Shuttle2Sun offers its shared transfer services and private transfer services, low-cost and sustainable, to move, comfortably and quickly, from Barcelona airport, Barcelona port, Girona airport and AVE Camp de Tarragona train station.
Best restaurants
One of the restaurants in Tarragona, on Costa Dorada, which stands out for its Mediterranean offer, is El Terrat Restaurant, which offers, on its menu, Mas de Santa Creu pasture-raised chicken ravioli with creamy seasonal mushrooms.
In Reus you will find a wide range of restaurants that offer this product on their menus, such as La Muela, which, throughout its history, has introduced, for example, its seasonal boletus dish, with ‘botifarra de Perol’ sausage and garlic cream. The restaurant Xivarri, also in Reus, is by the same chef Juan Diego, where you can’t miss his ‘CoQuetas de bolets de temporada a la crema’ (seasonal mushrooms with cream).
Barcelona also has a wide variety of restaurants that adapt their menus to seasonal products such as mushrooms. In the case of La Bodega Bartolí, you’ll find traditional dishes that include this product, such as scrambled eggs, risottos, grilled mushrooms, among other original options. If you’re looking for a unique gastronomic experience, don’t miss the menu at the Michelin-starred chef Jordi Esteve’s restaurant Nectari.
Likewise, in Girona, on Costa Brava, there are several restaurants that adapt their menus to seasonal products, such as Restaurant Massana, with a Michelin Star; or the restaurant Divinum, where you can try its roast cannelloni with seasonal mushrooms or its lobster with parmentier, mushrooms and american.
In addition, many Catalan towns and cities also organise various gastronomic days dedicated to mushrooms, which you can enjoy on specific dates, such as in Reus, for example.
On the other hand, if you dare to cook them at home, you can buy excellent quality mushrooms at the Bolets Petràs stall in La Boqueria in Barcelona. They sell them fresh, dried and frozen, for any kind of preparation.
If you don’t want to miss any of these proposals, travel to Costa Dorada, Costa Brava or Barcelona, with Shuttle2Sun‘s shared transfer services and private transfer services, low-cost and sustainable, which are available from Barcelona airport, Barcelona port, Girona airport and AVE Camp de Tarragona train station.
