Catalunya is full of geniuses. Artistic, poetic, musical, gastronomic…

But what we are amazed by is how a little village of some 600 souls can have come up with (at least) four in one go.

Let’s walk west up the street from the river Llosa…

On our left we have one of the best bread shops in the world – Forn d’en Jordi.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It is small. it is hot. It tends to have queues wrapping themselves along the street. But the delights that it holds…

Press your nose against the window and see the buttery, light madalenas, some sugary, some chocolatey all delicious. Hope that this is one of those days on which they have decided to experiment, try something new, something always worth tasting.

 

Look a little more closely..Is that chocolate? Freshly made chocolate? With hazelnuts, pine nuts, orange peel.

Go inside and savour the savouries. Empanadas made with a bready pastry and the classic Catalan combination of spinach, pine nuts and raisins. Cocas too many and varied to mention but always using seasonal ingredients such as potato, courgette etc or the “whole meal on a coca” of sardines, peppers and onions. Move on to the sweet cocas with lardons, raspberry jam, angel’s hair. And look out for what is new such as the medelena topped with apple and hiding a custardy centre… But did we say this is a bread shop?

Yes and what a bread shop! We have met people in barcelona who have said “Ah Martinet, the breadshop with the best walnut bread!” And there are quite a few in London and France who say the same now. The walnut bread is bread-firm but cake-crumbly. A hint of sweetness, but from the nuts rather than lost of sugar. It is a marvel eaten warm straight out of the oven. It is beautiful with honey from Travesseres.

 

Even when it is older it toasts to perfection.

And as for the lowly “plain” bread. Get a “rodo de kilo” to get the full effect of the wood burning stove. The bread is soft and pliable, the crust is thick and tasty. What more could you possibly want?!

 

 

We cross the road and carry on walking west, past the Town Hall and to the next home of genius – the cake shop Pastisseria Vilarrubla.

It does not have quite the cosy mystery of the Forn d’en Jordi. However, it is just as capable of dishing up great delights – normally of a sweeter nature. Now you need to understand that the bread shop makes some very fine cakes and the cake shop makes some good bread, but their characters are rooted in their main occupations.

So you can buy bread here, but personally, we would (literally) stick to the marvelous cakes, biscuits and artisan chocolate. As for the cocas, this is really difficult and you need to go with what you fancy on the day. We think that Vilarrubla’s raspberry coca just pips Jordi’s but the others are much closer to call…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As with Jordi’s, a lot is down to the use of the wood burning stove. The textures and flavours you get from it are quite amazing. But don’t underestimate the creativity, the palate, the love that go into these confections.

 

One thing we have yet to mention and we do not yet have photos for is the amazing, airy pa de pessic that you can find here on high days and holidays. Traditionally eaten to accompany cava after a meal, it is as light as a feather and just the right side of sweet.

 

 

Walk a little further down the road, keeping to the right. When you get to the corner you will find the location of the next genius of Martinet. The Pork butchers – Embotits D Turet.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Turets used to raise and butcher their own pork in days gone by. They now source the pork elsewhere but still make delicacies which will make your taste buds think they have died and gone to Heaven.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

But before we get to the taste buds, let’s start with the eyes… Look at the beautiful tiling outside the shop, showing you what these master butchers are up to. Look at the front step which gives the name and the logo of the business. Forget Starbucks and Sainsbury’s, this is a real, hands on, family business.

 

 

Now feast your eyes and your other senses. On the left you will see the dried sausages. Different stages of dryness to suit your palate and seasoned to a tee with just the right amount of pepper.

On the right, the black and white puddings and “bull” blanc and negre, cold cuts.

The black pudding is sooo good, with added onion which makes it as light as a feather. So much so that our French friends cannot get enough of it! All of these delights constitute the Catalan “Embotits” which you will typically eat as a starter. If you are really lucky, they will be served the traditional way on a chopping board with a knife. The restauranteur will weigh everything before and after you have cut what you want from the board and you will be charged accordingly. How civilised!

 

 

 

 

And finally, for the moment, the genius (or geniuses really) who left Martinet but is still here in spirit. Josep-Maria Boix and his superstar wife Loles (who sadly left us in 2014) left Martinet to run their dear hotel, the Torre del Remei in Bolvir.

We are dedicating a page to this wonderful location – the Torre del Remei in Bolvir de la Cerdanya.