Coca
A flat baked bread of the Catalan lands, savoury or sweet, sitting somewhere between a flatbread and a tart depending on what goes on top.
Coca is a whole family of flat, oven-baked goods across Catalonia, Valencia and the Balearics, built on an olive-oil dough rolled thin. Unlike pizza there is no cheese or tomato-sauce base by default; the character comes from the topping. Savoury cocas carry roasted vegetables, cured sausage or anchovy — the Catalan coca de recapte is the classic. Sweet cocas, dressed with candied fruit, pine nuts and sugar, are festival food, above all the coca de Sant Joan eaten on Midsummer's Eve. Mallorca has its own versions, including the vegetable-topped coca de trampó.
How it's served
Savoury cocas cut into strips as a snack or starter; sweet cocas, like the coca de Sant Joan, at festivals and celebrations.
Regional variation
Coca de recapte (roasted vegetables, often with sausage or anchovy) in Catalonia; coca de trampó (chopped raw vegetables) in Mallorca; the sweet coca de Sant Joan with candied fruit and pine nuts for Midsummer.
- Origin
- Catalan-speaking Mediterranean
- Etymology
- Coca shares a root with words like 'cook' and 'cake', and names a broad family of flat baked goods rather than one fixed recipe.
Where to try it in Barcelona
One restaurant on Guidavera mentions coca in their kitchen description.
Frequently asked
Is coca the same as pizza?
It is flat and baked, but the dough is olive-oil based and there is no default cheese or tomato-sauce layer. Coca is defined by its topping and comes in both savoury and sweet forms, which pizza does not.
What is coca de Sant Joan?
A sweet coca eaten on the eve of Sant Joan (Midsummer, 23 June), topped with candied fruit and pine nuts. It is the classic celebration cake of the night across Catalonia.
Related terms
- Coca mallorquinaMallorcan flatbread, savoury or sweet. The savoury coca de trampó tops it with summer vegetables; the sweet coca de patata is brioche-light, dusted with powdered sugar.
- Coca de PatataA sweet, spongy potato-based bun dusted with icing sugar, most associated with Valldemossa, traditionally served with hot chocolate.
- EscalivadaCatalan smoky vegetables: aubergine, red pepper, sometimes onion and tomato, all roasted whole, peeled and dressed with olive oil.