By: Donna Freitas
When I was writing my novel, Stefi and the Spanish Prince, which is featured in one of Despaña's most recent gift boxes, I had two main goals: to come up with a fun romantic comedy that would be the perfect summer and/or vacation read, and also to bring my favorite city in the world and my current home—Barcelona, Spain—to life for people who picked up the book.
To me, FOOD was the key to making readers feel like they were visiting Barcelona while reading. I wanted to make people truly hungry while they adventured with Stefi and Xavi (her secret Spanish prince!) through the streets of the old parts of the city. So my protagonist and her royal love interest are very food-focused themselves—Stefi is learning to become a pastry chef at Barcelona’s famed culinary school, Hofmann, and Xavi is one of the best tortilla-makers in the city. Even Stefi’s grandmother loves food, and is always plying Stefi with artichokes and vermut!
In fact, the very first scene of this novel has Stefi wandering La Boqueria, the famed open-air market of Barcelona, and ordering up a tortilla from Xavi’s mother’s tapas counter. In real life, like Stefi, I go to La Boqueria all the time, as well as Mercat de Santa Caterina, especially when I am preparing pica pica for a Sunday or a nice, spring evening here at home.
One of my favorite, favorite things about living in Barcelona, Spain is pica pica. We all should have pica pica, all of the time, in my opinion. If you love jamony queso as much as I do, then pica pica is for you too.
Pica pica is basically like an “appetizer hour,” plus wine (or beer, or vermut!). A kind of happy hour + when the “plus” involves lots of delicious Spanish snacks—the best snacks ever. Jamon Iberico. Fuet. At least a couple of cheeses if you are me (Of course, Manchego, but also there are so many others, including Torta del Casar). Some olives. A good loaf of bread. Some anchovies! Boquerones! (Hooray for tiny, marinated fish!) To me, all of the above ingredients are essential pica pica-fare. Also, if you’re lucky enough to have someone around with a talent for Spanish tortilla, cooking one up and then cutting it into little, snackable triangles is also a nice addition.
In other words, pica pica is often substantial enough to count as dinner or even lunch, depending on the time of day. At least our pica pica typically does here in Barcelona!
One of the things that is really hard to find in the U.S. but Despaña often has it at its stores (because I used to get it when I was living in NYC), is Torta del Casar, which is the gooiest cheese I’ve ever eaten, and one of my favorite cheeses in the world. It’s like fondue, but there is no heating it up—you just open the top with a knife and its melty as-is.
So if you love food as much as I do (and as much as Stefi and Xavi do), and you long to visit Spain (especially Barcelona!), between my novel and this gift box you will be on your way. You can plan your own pica pica at home, or just snack while you read.
I hope the novel makes you hungry, and the gift box gives you a wonderful taste of all the deliciousness Spain has to offer. Enjoy!
If the streets of Barcelona are calling to you, treat yourself with this carefully curated selection of boqueria-themed goodies paired with young adult rom comStefi and the Spanish Prince by Donna Freitas
At Despaña, we celebrate all things Spanish — and Stefi and the Spanish Prince brings that spirit to life in story form. It’s a joyful addition to your home library or a thoughtful gift for fellow Spain lovers.
