An unexpected protagonist
In a city of this size, where not everyone has the time or inclination to venture into the forest, one deeply Barcelonan institution has played a vital role in keeping wild mushrooms at the heart of autumn: the markets. A vast network that, despite the passing of time, remains alive and true to its role as a bridge between the city and the forest floor. As Jordi Vilà puts it: “If the markets die, wild mushrooms die”.
In Catalan, there are more than six hundred words for mushrooms. This is no exaggeration; it reflects a culture that is among the most mycophilic in the world.
Every autumn, people across Catalonia head into the forests with near-devotional commitment, drawn by an ingredient that has become something close to sacred.
It all begins with an unspoken understanding: a place, often kept secret. Every family has one, passed down from one generation to the next: a spot where mushrooms have always grown and always will. A quiet symbiosis between people and landscape, renewed year after year.
This is a love story between a culture and an ingredient that here finds the ideal conditions to flourish, both in quality and in variety. Over time, that connection has become part of the very fabric of Barcelona’s and Catalonia’s gastronomic identity.
“Our cuisine cannot follow trends. It must remain a living heritage, shaped by time rather than fashion.”
Jordi Vilà’s cuisine
In an age of fleeting exhibitionism, Jordi Vilà champions the mushroom as a mark of integrity: creativity with roots, haute cuisine with memory and personality without excess. It’s about bringing back those aromas and flavours that lie deep within us – through creativity and talent.
