What's at its peak in Barcelona right now

February–May · Maresme

Sweet small-pod peas from the coastal Maresme, a benchmark spring vegetable in Barcelona fine dining, often listed by farm of origin on tasting menus.

February–April · Various, historical Atlantic salt-cure

Salt-cured cod is the centerpiece of the Catalan Lent table, esqueixada, brandada, bacallà a la llauna, bunyols de bacallà. Eaten year-round in tapas, but tradition peaks from Dijous Llarder through Easter.

March–May · Baix Llobregat / Gavà area for green; Empordà and inland for white

Spring asparagus, the Mediterranean signal that winter is over. Cultivated green asparagus from the Llobregat delta and wild thin spears (espàrrecs de marge) appear together on Catalan menus from March through May.

March–May · Baix Llobregat / Maresme

Fresh broad beans, the foundation of faves a la catalana, stewed with botifarra negra and mint. Eaten young, raw, and tender when at peak season in the Llobregat delta.

March–April · Pyrenees / Pre-Pyrenees pastures

Spring milk-lamb (anyell de llet / xai lletó) is the Easter centerpiece in Catalonia, roasted whole or in pieces with potatoes and rosemary, traditionally on Diumenge de Pasqua.

March–May · Costa Brava / Costa Daurada

Spring cuttlefish, fattest at the start of the reproductive season. Foundation of arròs negre and the Catalan classic sípia amb mandonguilles.

April–June · Maresme

Coastal-grown strawberries from the Maresme, short season, ripened on the plant rather than picked early for shipping.

April–June · Lleida and inland Catalonia

Spring snail season peaks with Lleida's Aplec del Caragol in May, Europe's largest gathering dedicated to a single ingredient. Eaten grilled (a la llauna), in stews, and with allioli.

April–May · Pyrenees / Pre-Pyrenees

Spring morel, the autumn bolets' counterpart in the Catalan calendar, foraged for a short window in April and May.

April–May · Camp de Tarragona / various Mediterranean

Late spring loquat, orange-yellow, slightly tart, a brief window between citrus and stone-fruit season.

May–July · Alt Empordà

Protected-origin anchovy from L'Escala on the Costa Brava. The traditional fresh-fishing window runs late spring through midsummer; the salted version is available year-round and is the form most restaurants serve.

May–June · Baix Llobregat / Anoia / Bages

Late spring through early summer cherries from inland Catalonia and the Llobregat valley. A short, intense season, often gone by the end of June.

May–September · Costa Brava and Costa Daurada

Summer sardine season along the Mediterranean coast. Sardinades, grilled-on-the-beach sardine feasts, are a defining Catalan summer ritual, peaking around Sant Joan in late June.

May–October · Costa Brava (Palamós port)

The Costa Brava's flagship deep-water red shrimp, landed at Palamós and traceable by daily auction. Available much of the year but at peak quality and abundance in the warmer months.

May–August · L'Ametlla de Mar

The bluefin tuna run through the western Mediterranean peaks in late spring and summer. Balfegó at L'Ametlla de Mar is the closest traceable source for Barcelona kitchens.

May–August · Costa Brava

Mediterranean spiny lobster, distinct from the cold-water American clawed lobster (llamàntol). Costa Brava season is summer, classically used in the Empordà arròs de llagosta and the Menorcan caldereta.

May–August · Alt Empordà

Sweet, flat, mild onion from the Alt Empordà, eaten raw in xató and salads, grilled at calçotades when the calçot is out of season.

May–September · Costa Brava / Cantabrian Sea

European clawed lobster, distinct from the spiny llagosta. Local Costa Brava catch peaks in summer; classic in arròs amb llamàntol and the steamed-with-allioli treatment.

June–July · Lleida / Maresme

Early-summer apricot, the briefest of the stone-fruit seasons. Ripe in late June into July, often paired with rosemary, almond and honey.

June–September · Costa Brava and Costa Daurada

Local Mediterranean squid are at their best through summer, grilled whole, stuffed, in arròs negre, or served as bocadillo de calamars.

June–October · Cantabrian and Galician ports

Atlantic bonito (Bonito del Norte) is fished in the Cantabrian Sea from late spring through autumn. Brought south by the truck-load each summer for marmitako, ventresca and ajoarriero on Catalan menus.

June–August · Baix Llobregat / Maresme

Summer zucchini, and the courgette flowers (flors de carbassó) that appear briefly through high summer, stuffed with cheese, fried, or shaved raw.

June–August · Costa Brava / Costa Daurada

High-summer baby cuttlefish and squid, small enough to grill whole, tender enough to sear in their own ink. The bocadillo de chipirones and grilled-with-allioli treatments dominate summer menus.

July–August · Lleida (Aitona / Ordal area)

Catalan peaches arrive at full ripeness in July and August. Varieties from the Lleida orchards and the Ordal hills near Penedès appear on menus alongside the Aragonese Calanda peach.

July–September · Various Catalan production + imports

Summer melon, eaten plain, with cured ham, or chilled in soups and granités. Peak ripeness through July, August and into early September.

July–September · Baix Llobregat / Maresme

Summer aubergine, the third pillar (with peppers and tomatoes) of samfaina, escalivada and many Catalan summer staples.

July–September · Baix Llobregat / Maresme / Empordà

High-summer Catalan tomato, Montserrat (ribbed), Mando, Cor de Bou, Penjar varieties at peak ripeness. Eaten raw in amanida catalana, esqueixada and the unbeatable tomàquet ramellet on grilled bread.

July–October · Baix Llobregat / Empordà / Galicia for Padrón

Catalan summer peppers, Padrón (the small green ones, one in ten spicy), the long red Bisbe and Banyolí for romesco and escalivada, plus piquillo and bell varieties.

July–September · Lleida / Costa Daurada / Valencia

High-summer watermelon, eaten in slices, granité, salad with feta and mint, or the increasingly popular savoury pairings with tuna and watermelon.

August–September · Empordà / Camp de Tarragona

Late summer figs, black, green and white varieties from Catalan orchards. A short, perishable season that ends as autumn begins.

August–October · Camp de Tarragona / Priorat

Protected-origin hazelnut from the Tarragona hinterland, harvested in late summer through October. Toasted and ground into the bedrock of romesco and picada.

August–October · Catalan pine groves (Bages / Anoia / Empordà)

Late summer pine-nut harvest, the small, sweet Catalan pinyó. Used year-round in picada, espinacs a la catalana and panellets, but at peak freshness in the harvest months.

August–September · Priorat / Camp de Tarragona / Terra Alta

Late summer almond harvest in the Priorat hills and inland Tarragona. Used green-fresh briefly; toasted and ground into picada, romesco and turrons for the rest of the year.

September–November · Pyrenees / Pre-Pyrenees

Catalan wild mushroom season, driven by autumn rain in the Pyrenees and Pre-Pyrenees. Rovellons (Lactarius deliciosus) and ceps (Boletus edulis) headline restaurant menus through autumn.

September–December · Pyrenees / Pre-Pyrenees / Garrotxa

Catalan oyster mushroom, a longer season than the autumn-only rovellons and ceps, running deeper into winter. Cultivated and wild varieties both appear on menus through the cold months.

September–December · Costa Brava / Galician ports

Mediterranean and Atlantic octopus, quality and availability peak through autumn. The classic pulpo a la gallega + Catalan grilled-on-the-brasa preparations dominate the season.

September–November · Costa Brava and Mallorca

Late summer through autumn, golden-blue dolphinfish, the closest thing to a Catalan seasonal delicacy you can buy from a fishmonger by name. Most associated with Mallorca, also landed at Catalan ports.

September–October · Anoia / Bages / Segarra

Catalan chickpea harvest peaks in September and October, the Cigronet de l'Anoia and similar heritage varieties. Cooked into escudella i carn d'olla all winter, plus canelons, cocido and a thousand stews.

September–October · Various inland

Catalan and Castilian lentil harvest comes in late summer through October. Through winter the dried bean carries countless slow-cooked dishes, llenties amb cansalada, llenties amb botifarra, llenties amb verdures.

September–March · Costa Brava / Costa Daurada

Atlantic and Mediterranean mackerel, oily, intense, peak quality through autumn and winter. Eaten escabetxada (pickled), grilled whole, or as the bar-counter cured 'verat marinat'.

November–March · Alt Camp

A long, mild spring onion grown by burying the bulb to elongate the white shoot. Eaten flame-grilled, peeled at the table, dipped in romesco, the centerpiece of a calçotada.

November–April · Baix Llobregat

Protected-origin artichoke grown in the Llobregat delta just south of Barcelona, recognisable by its violet-tinged leaves and a notch at the top.

November–April · Bages / Empordà / various inland

A small thick-skinned tomato harvested in late summer and hung in clusters to ripen slowly through winter, concentrating sugars and acidity. The traditional bread of pa amb tomàquet from November through spring.

November–March · Delta de l'Ebre / Costa Brava

Catalan clams peak through the colder months, sweetest in winter, from the Delta de l'Ebre and Costa Brava beds. Eaten quickly steamed or in the classic 'a la marinera' broth.

November–March · Berguedà / Cerdanya / Vallès

Catalan winter turnip varieties, the Nap Negre del Berguedà (black turnip) and Nap de la Coma, return to menus when escudella i carn d'olla season begins.

November–March · Costa Brava / Cantabrian Sea / Galicia

Langoustines, at peak cleanliness and price in the cooler months. The Costa Brava and Galician fisheries land them year-round, but quality and shell condition both improve through winter.

December–March · Osona / Berguedà / Solsonès

Catalonia's black truffle season runs through the deep winter months, with markets in Vic and Centelles supplying many of Barcelona's tasting menus.

December–March · Costa Brava

Costa Brava sea-urchin season is a Catalan winter ritual, Palafrugell hosts a 'Garoinada' gastronomy season every year from January through March, with restaurants along the coast running dedicated menus.

December–March · Costa Brava

Winter Costa Brava delicacy, the muscle of the holothurian, simply grilled with olive oil and salt. Short, regulated fishery; supply runs through the cold months.

December–March · Costa Brava / Costa Daurada

Winter mantis shrimp from Catalan trawlers, undervalued, intensely sweet, the secret weapon in seafood stocks and rice. The Vilanova i la Geltrú Festa de la Galera in February anchors the season.