Boules de Picolat

Barcelona so epitomizes Catalonia that most people forget that a small part of this historic province is in France. Here, local dishes teem with dark, pungent flavors that date back to the Phoenicians. The Arabs came later, adding spices like saffron, cinnamon, and nutmeg to savory and sweet dishes, such as the popular Crème Catalane topped with caramel. Catalan is very much a second language around Perpignan, the regional capital, and Paris seems a long way away. “We love anchovies,” a loc