Already a member? Not a member? Sign up Explore our Food Tours → “People know about our peas all over the world!” Marc Bertrán exclaimed as he stood behind a folding table laden with jars of cooked green peas stacks of pamphlets and a big crock of silky pea hummus with a bowl of crackers inviting passersby to enjoy a taste of three generations’ worth of dedication a 15-minute drive up the coast from Barcelona in the area of Maresme Though the region is too small to have a denomination of origin designation the peas of the Maresme are a product protected under the marca de garantía (guaranteed brand) label and restaurants around Catalonia overflow with these tiny green gems and a portion of the crop is even sent abroad to eager chefs in France and beyond Multiple varieties of peas are cultivated in this seaside but the best – the most prized and promoted – is the pèsol garrofal The Garrofal varietal thrives in climates where the temperature never dips below -1°C (30.2°F) in winter or rises above 20°C (68°F) in the spring There are very few regions in Spain that support these meteorological requirements ideal place for these delicate peas to thrive a woman named Petra Lafarga was the first to bring her hometown’s unique product into the limelight She began buying local peas and promoting their quality through delicious dishes on the menu of her eponymous restaurant Restaurant Petra in Sant Andreu de Llavaneres (since closed) had various preparations of Garrofal peas on the menu but the most famous was the dish that is now known as “Llavaneres-style peas,” a simple but flavorful stew of peas simmered with rich pork belly with white sausage (botifarra blanca) and blood sausage (botifarra negre) as garnish at the Festa del Pèsol de Llavaneres (Llavaneres Pea Festival) the entire town convenes to enjoy all things peas from hearty stews and soups to delicate mousses and dips – even ice cream 2016 marked the 17th annual Llavaneres Pea Festival and Marc Bertrán has been here since the beginning though at the start he represented not his own farm The festivities are mainly contained to the small Parc de Ca l’Alfaro at the center of town where 4,000 attendees enjoy a weekend of music The main event is the Sunday afternoon tasting adding up to more than 100 kilograms of peas pea-lovers received two modest portions of pea dishes of their choosing flaky square of Coca de Llavaneres to round out the meal The Coca de Llavaneres was invented in 1955 by a Mr. Gaspar Sala i Ros of Pastisseria Sala, a local pastry shop and bakery that’s been in business for nearly 300 years. To this day, the Sala family continues to carry the torch of their famous patriarch, selling countless portions of this popular dessert year-round. Similar to other Catalan cocas (flat breads) sweet treat made from layers of puff pastry stuffed with pastry cream and studded on the outside with toasted pine nuts and coarse sugar crystals “There’s no secret to how (our family) makes the coca,” Fatima Sala Cabot told us as she and her children handed out portions of their famous family specialty “We just use the best ingredients possible – fresh local eggs and local pine nuts – and we always make the cocas daily so they are never soggy or stale.” According to Fatima the peas of Llavaneres aren’t the only local gastronomic treasure to have earned recognition north of the border “Maxim’s [of Paris] also featured Coca de Llavaneres on their dessert menu.” local restaurants spent the day ladling heaps of pea purée cuttlefish and pea soup and callos (tripe stew) into the little tasting cups and ceramic cassola souvenirs (included in the ticket price) of festival-goers Local wine from the nearby region of Alella flowed in abundance and market stands sold all the fresh ingredients needed to make your own pot of pèsols at home Being surrounded by peas isn’t unusual for Marc Bertrán He confessed to us that his favorite means of preparing his famous peas is not the typical stew that’s ubiquitous at the festival but instead the truita de pèsols (pea omelette) a relative of the classic truita de patates (potato and egg omelette) one uses peas that have been heated in a dry pan with just a drop of olive oil allowing them to release their natural liquid and lightly steam You mix the peas with eggs and proceed to make a classic truita on the stove top The Pea Festival only lasts two days locals and visitors alike can enjoy the town’s green bounty via the Mostra Gastronòmica del Pèsol (Pea Showcases) a program in which many local restaurants participate select establishments offer diners a menu the revolves around the Garrofal peas and the Coca de Llavaneres with dishes such as Pèsols amb pop i llagostins (Peas with octopus and langoustines) and Pèsols amb sèpia (peas with cuttlefish) at restaurant Rotisseria Ca l’Arnau and Amanida de Pèsol Confitats amb Peus de Porc i Tòfona Negra (Salad of confited peas with pig’s trotters and black truffle) at restaurant Can Jaume the day before the 17th annual Festa del Pèsol began 150 eager diners gathered at the Sant Andreu de Llavaneres restaurant Vil·la Minerva to enjoy a seven-course meal of peas (all supplied by Marc Bertán and Horta Marcò) with guests (and a few local television personalities) digging in to Cream of Pea soup squid stuffed with peas and plankton mayonnaise pea ice cream with white chocolate soup and a “Magnum-style” pea ice cream bar on a stick but the small-town spirit was on full display as friends and families enjoyed the fruits of their own soil on a sunny April day when the last hints of winter winds just barely lingered in the air affordable excursion that is sure to give visitors a new perspective on the important role that gastronomic festivals play in Catalan life Sunday is the best day to visit the Festa del Pèsol as lines will be long and the food may very well run out not long after walk down for about 30 minutes to the seashore (or jump on the local bus) and soak up some sun on the beach before catching the train back to Barcelona the 29er World Championship opened under the spanish sun in the clear waters of the Club Nàutic El Balís 242 crews from 26 countries went into battle over three race courses Soma Kis-Szölgyémi and Sámuel Juhász winning the day with the powerful Italian fleet chasing closely in their wake Two races were held with winds from the south-southwest between 7 and 10 knots before falling to five knots meaning a third race could not be started by all the current and the intensity of the wind caused 22 boats to start prematurely and therefore scored DSQ by Race Committee and the leaders Soma Kis-Szölgyémi and Sámuel Juhász picked up a consitent first and a second in the Green group placing them at the top of the table The Italian crews formed by Alex Demurtas/Giovanni Santi Zeno Valerio Marchesini/Carlo Vittoli and Mosè Billemo/Pietro Berti follow by just one point as do the Dutch Yanne Broers and Rick Dieperink All of these teams scored a first and a third in their respective groups The best Spanish crew after the first day was the Canarians Yoel Hernández and Álvaro Alonso winning the first race of the day in the Purple Group and sixth in the second placing them ninth overall just four points behind the leaders the Valencian brothers Mateo and Simón Codoñer are sitting in twenty-second position but it is early days with so many fleets and races still to be sailed in the qualifying and final series it looks to be a very closely contested fight to be crowned 29er World Champions 2022 four races are planned in each of the groups although the forecast looks to be very light winds so the sailors will be ready for a long day of nervous waiting and enjoying the local hospitality Editor’s Note: Day 2 update – Overnight 3 further races were completed and the Spanish team of Peña and Ortega have moved into the lead The Middle Harbour team of Tyler Dransfield and Jamie Stodart are the lead Australian boat in 19th with a first in race Q3 There are 18 Aussie boats in the fleet of 245 with some great coaches and parents supporting them Good luck to them all over the next few days Photos 29er Worlds website 29er Worlds results plus all the latest on yachting regattas and offshore adventures around the world