I am interested in bringing small, typical gifts for my friends from Barcelona. I was thinking of things like saffron. On the series "To Spain with Love" they used several different types, including powder. Which is the best kind to buy and the best place to buy it. I have also read about a smokey paprika. Is this something peculiar to Barcelona? I am also interested in other food stuffs to buy, small, easy to transport and not too expensive. Thank you.

Saffron is hardly typical of Catalán Spain, but you can pick it up in most grocery stores, including El Corte Ingles. You can buy some of the excellent rice (from the Empordà), or bolets (wild mushrooms), but the great Catalán meats will not be allowed through US Customs.

Olive oil--for gifts, you can buy small tins that are lighter weight than bottles. We also brought back Sal de Ibiza - fabulous sea salt which seems to be sprinkled on everything in Barcelona.

are you familiar with pimenton (a smoky and sweet paprika)? I read about it somewhere. I wouldn't buy meats and I wonder if bolets would get through customs (Canadian)

If your women friends are "of a certain age"--fans make a great gift. I bought several from one of the vendors in front of Sagrada Familia--hand-painted--beautiful. I wish I'd bought more--and they are compact, easy to pack, no problema with customs. Scarves are another idea--the shawl-type. Found them on the street in the Barri Gotic 1 euro each.

my friend bought a ton of paprika.
She is gourmet cook , seems Spanish paprika is special
You cannot bring meat into Canada .

How is Spanish paprika different from Hungarian paprika?

Pimetón from the Vera Valley is some of the best you can find, very pure, natural and smoked. It's not that much different from the best Hungarian paprika, but only the best.

We often buy the dried mushrooms (setas) from Soria, when we can find them outside of the region. No problem getting them through customs. Chef's love them. The problem is that they are usually sold in larger jars (plastic), difficult to pack in your luggage, so you'll either end up putting them in a large baggy, or carrying them on the plane with your other carry-ons.

Carrefours for setas.. Small 6oz size jars, customs proof, dried and compact, great in soups etc. fit inside shoes in your bag. You can also (if you have room) bring home wine in travelling boxes and in your checked luggage. Although the boxes (3 bottle size) are somewhat big the extra space after the 2 bottles can be filled with sox, tees, underwear etc. The wine is cheap, excellent and most is unavailable in NO. Am. Try Carrefours again or el cortes ingles and get a great rosado (Cresta rosa) for about 4 euros..

Hi ita,

Ground saffron is like any other ground herb or spice, you don't know what's in it.

You want saffron threads. We got some at El Corte Ingles.

Other foodstuffs are canned white anchovies, sardines and foie gras.

We also got some fans and couple of mantillas.

I don't think hand fans are Catalan, but might be wrong on that. I think that is more a tradition from Andalusia, Madrid, and Valencia was a big center of that. I'd go for something decorative, maybe related to Gaudi-type design as I think of that as special to Barcelona (modernism it was called there).

I think this about.com article is a good summary http://gospain.about.com/od/thingsto...-souvenirs.htm