Missing your favourite foods from back home? Ethnic supermarkets in Barcelona
When you’re studying abroad, it’s perfectly normal to feel homesick. Do you often find yourself missing the sounds, scents and flavours that remind you of your home? Do you ever crave your mum’s home-cooked meals? What about that pack of sweets you used to keep in the kitchen cupboard that you can only get in your country?
We are proud of our international community and we want to make you feel at home during your stay in stay in Barcelona and your time at ESEI. So we searched far and wide and found the best ethnic and international supermarkets in the city.
If you can overlook the occasional priciness – we’re talking about authentic, imported products after all – allow yourself to splurge on a bit of nostalgia and feel closer to home for a moment.
US supermarkets
Taste of America
If you’re missing the American way of life – or just want to venture across the Atlantic for a sweet minute – Taste of America will become your go-to supermarket. They stock all kinds of typically American products like breakfast cereals (are you on team Lucky Charms or team Fruit Loops?), treats like Hershey’s milk chocolate, Reese’s peanut butter cups, Pop-Tarts and Twizzlers, and essentials like canned pumpkin puree and Campbell’s soup. Let’s not forget about the star of every American pantry, Smucker’s Goober peanut butter and jelly!
Address: Carrer d’Aragó, 231, 08007 Barcelona, Spain
Latin American supermarkets
Colmado Afrolatino
Want to make your mom’s tortillas, arepas or tamales but can’t find the right ingredients? Colmado Afrolatino is a haven of authentic Latin-American packaged products. They’ve got everything you’ll need: basics like corn flour; staples such as frijoles negros and poblano chiles; mouth-watering toppings like dulce de leche; and all-time favourites like Malta drinks.
Address: 08003, Via Laietana, 9, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
LatinCor, El Superlatino
Peru, Mexico, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador… All these countries are represented by their respective culinary delights in this small shop called LatinCor in Eixample. You’ll find everything neatly sorted by national cuisine, so you won’t get lost among all the sodas, beers, sauces, meat products, cheeses, and whatever else your taste buds desire.
Address: Carrer de Còrsega, 536 BAJOS, 08025 Barcelona, Spain
Abarrotes Doña Cuca
If Mexican hot sauces are all you can think about, take a trip to Abarrotes Doña Cuca. There’s no variety of salsa or mole that they don’t stock. OK, there probably is, but when you’re trying to conjure up the spirit of Mexico in Barcelona, the best you can do is shop at a supermarket that imports all major favourites, including original Mexican tortillas, canned beans and of course, tequila.
Address: Passatge de Font, 4, 08013 Barcelona, Spain
Asian supermarkets
Yang Kuang Supermercats
Whether you’re from an Asian country or just obsessed with Oriental grub, you will be well served in Barcelona. At Yang Kuang Supermercats, there is a wide range of Chinese, Thai, Korean and Japanese products at cheap prices. The shelves are full of canned goods, sauces, tofu, noodles, pre-cooked dumplings, spices, coconut milk, miso paste, and much more. They even have fresh exotic fruits like jackfruit and durian (though you might want to spare your neighbours and skip the latter).
Address: Passeig de Sant Joan, 12-14, 08010 Barcelona, Spain
Dong Fang
Another good bet for the lovers of Asian food is Dong Fang, a supermarket that sells all kinds of Far Eastern products as well as a variety of Indian and, strangely enough, Greek and Mexican foods. If you’re looking for Indian chutneys and pastes, fresh spices and other ingredients – some of which you can’t find anywhere else in Barcelona – make sure you stop by.
Address: Carrer de Balmes, 6, 08007 Barcelona, Spain
Middle Eastern supermarkets
Pastisseria Ayub
Although it’s not technically a supermarket, Pastisseria Ayub sells the best Arabic products you can find in Barcelona. It’s a pastry shop that makes cakes, pies, baklavas, samosas and other baked goods that tastes just like home. Swing by and try not to buy everything on your way out!
Address: Carrer de Sant Pau, 39, 08001 Barcelona, Spain
Cleopatra
Cleopatra offers traditional, handmade Lebanese, Egyptian and Syrian pastries. When you enter the shop and see the neatly stacked towers of baklava, you’ll be transported straight to the home of these finger-licking delicious treats.
Address: Carrer de Còrsega, 535, 08025 Barcelona, Spain
European supermarkets
A Taste of Home
A Taste of Home is a paradise for expats that mainly sells products from the UK, with some German, Dutch, American and Australian foods here and there. If you’re on the lookout for English muffins, tea, cider, oatcakes, Christmas or Easter treats, jams or some canned haggis, drop by and fill up that shopping basket. Australians and Kiwis, you might even find vegemite and the occasional Tim Tam!
Address: Carrer de Floridablanca, 78, 08015 Barcelona, Spain
La Salumeria Market Italiano
Oh, that melt-in-your-mouth Italian burrata… It’s just inimitable. Lucky for us, La Salumeria Market Italiano brings authentic Italian flavours for your home-cooked meals to Barcelona. They sell all your Italian grandmother’s pantry staples including mozzarella di bufala, ricotta, sausages, Italian cherry tomatoes, radicchio, arugula and many other fresh and packaged goods. Ready for pizza night?
Address: Carrer del Comte Borrell, 8, 08015 Barcelona, Spain
Maison Puyvalin
Maison Puyvalin has everything that makes French gastronomy world famous. The little shop in downtown Barcelona is known for its selection of French cheeses to die for. Naturally, they offer a vast array of wines to go with the cheeses, next to delicacies like pâté, foie gras, cassoulet and freshly baked bread. If you’re looking for gourmet products to buy as a gift, check out their luxurious chocolates seasoned with roses and lavender, or have a look at the fancy bottles of truffle oil.
Address: Carrer de Trafalgar, 23, 08010 Barcelona, Spain
Botiga Russa Troika
This charming, old shop called Botiga Russa Troika sells traditional Russian, Ukrainian, and Armenian foods. Complete with a dairy fridge, the retro supermarket sells cheeses, charcuterie, smoked fish, sturgeon and salmon caviar, sauerkraut, vodka, beer, confectionery goods, pelmeni and all kinds of liquors.
Address: Carrer de la Unió, 3, 08001 Barcelona, Spain
Krakoviak
Krakoviak is a favourite among Barcelona’s Polish community. The supermarket specialises in Eastern-European – mainly Polish, Russian and Romanian – products that are hard to find anywhere else. If you’re craving caviar, sausages or pierogi from Poland, washed down with a shot of vodka or a glass of beer, you might want to stop by. They also have a wide range of dairy products like yoghurt, sour cream and kefir, next to pickled cucumber and cabbage, smoked and dried fish, and, of course, your child self’s favourite sweets.
Address: Carrer de Sicília, 326, 08025 Barcelona, Spain
These are some of the best ethnic and international supermarkets we’ve discovered in Barcelona – let us know if you have any to add! And don’t forget, some of the big, international shops also offer foreign speciality products. For example, Lidl and Aldi stock a wide range of German goods, El Corte Inglés has a selection of Asian and other products and IKEA is a great place for Swedish food.
Where are you from, and what foods do you miss the most from your home country?
If you’re enjoying our blog, also read our tips on events to attend this summer in Barcelona!
