Olot is Gastronomy

"If la Garrotxa is once again to be seen, you mustn’t miss out on the cuisine!” This is a saying that in recent years has greatly enriched the area. In addition to its natural and cultural spaces, Olot has also made a name for itself on Spain’s gastronomic map, with its very own label: “Volcanic Cuisine”.

So what’s the secret of this cuisine? Produce native to the area, with rich flavours, from local suppliers, that make their way from the kitchen garden practically straight to the table. The cuisine is based around products such as buckwheat, farro (a type of local cornmeal), the celebrated white beans from Santa Pau, the local Serrat sheep’s cheese, black turnips, potatoes from La Vall d’en Bas, Piumoc cured sausage, the renowned “Montserrat” tomatoes, veal bearing the “ben criada” (well-raised) label, and on-farm fattened lamb raised on top-quality fodder, straw, forage crops and mother’s milk.

Olot’s kitchens are not only home to traditional cuisine, but they also embrace innovation and intrepidness. The area's volcanic dishes are a journey for the senses, which will take you from the basaltic crags of Castellfollit de la Roca, to the deepest depths of the mesmerising Fageda d’en Jordà forest; from the medieval streets of Santa Pau and Besalú, to the mysteries surrounding Olot’s volcanic formations.

Olot and la Garrotxa are lands of diversity, and the coming together of cultures. In recent years, alongside its volcanic gastronomy, Olot has also seen a surge in quality international cuisine. There has also been an explosion of vegetarian and vegan establishments, which are the perfect complement to la Garrotxa’s tradition of healthy cuisine (while, of course, leaving out the animal products). Olot has everything. There’s another saying to write down!