European Dairy Tour - Stage 7: Barcelona (Spain) 🇪🇸
Welcome to this new series of articles where I take you across Europe to explore the dairy products, lactose-free options, and vegan alternatives available. As someone with lactose intolerance and co-founder of the lactose.help app, I decided to travel across the continent, app in hand, to give you a concrete overview of what to expect if you're travelling with an intolerance.
Seventh stop: Barcelona, Spain.
The journey: an adventure worthy of Lucky Luke
I'm up early to get to Avignon TGV station, which is quite far from the city centre. It's a half-hour bus ride. I always allow 20 minutes extra just in case.
I arrive at the bus stop and wait for a good fifteen minutes. When it arrives, I realise I'm not at the right stop... It's going to be very, very tight.
In the end, I decide to take an Uber to the station, hoping it'll be faster than the bus which makes lots of loops and stops constantly. Fortunately, I arrived at the station with 15 minutes to spare, just enough to buy an Asian dish for the journey.
The Spanish train arrives. It starts. And then, barely past the Rhône a few kilometres further, the train stops on the hill. It desperately tries to restart but each time, a safety mechanism kicks in. After a good hour of various attempts, the train goes back in reverse to Avignon station to get a running start. It feels like a Lucky Luke comic. This time it works. We'll arrive 2 hours late in Barcelona.
Quick reminder on the method
For those just joining us, lactose.help classifies products according to their maximum lactose risk, from A (very low risk, safe consumption) to E (high risk, avoid). You can check out the full methodology here.
A little glossary to better understand Spanish cheeses
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Vaca | Cow |
| Cabra | Goat |
| Oveja | Sheep |
| Mezcla | Milk blend |
| Viejo | Old |
| Añejo, curado, madurado | Aged, mature |
| Semicurado | Semi-aged |
| Tierno | Young |
| Fresco | Fresh |
Supermarket mission: Aldi, Carrefour Express, Arnau & Ametller, Dia, Consum
Lactose-free ranges: choice is back!
Choice is back after France where it was a bit of a desert crossing: skimmed milk, semi-skimmed, whole, cream, whipped cream in a can (!), butter, yoghurt, cream cheese, grated cheese...
Spanish cheeses
Lactose concentration A (safe, maximum 0.1 g / 100 g):
- Queso de Mezcla Viejo
- Queso Tetilla
- Queso de Oveja Madurado DOP
Lactose concentration B (generally safe, maximum 0.5 g / 100 g):
- Queso de Oveja Añejo
- Queso de Mezcla Semicurado
- Queso de Mezcla Tierno
- Queso Semicurado Mahón-Menorca DOP
- Arzúa-Ulloa DOP
- Queso de Cabra Tierno
- Queso de Vaca Tierno
Lactose concentration C (caution, maximum 1 g / 100 g):
- Queso Fresco de Vaca
Lactose concentration D (risky, maximum 1.5 g / 100 g):
- Queso Fresco de Cabra
Lactose concentration E (high risk, minimum 1.5 g / 100 g):
- Queso Fresco de Vaca y Cabra
- Queso Fresco
- Queso Baquero
An important observation
It's interesting to note that Spanish cheeses are often made with different milks, or even a blend. Warning: although goat's milk and sheep's milk naturally contain less lactose, this doesn't mean that cheeses made from them necessarily do too. It all depends on the production method, the ageing process, etc.
Cheese shops: a very French concept
It's also amusing to see that the concept of a cheese shop is very French. During my research, many are run by French people. I was able to visit some local produce shops that have some cheese but unfortunately little nutritional information...
Watch out for cured meats!
However, cured sausages are packed with lactose just like in France... The Salchichón de Vic (PGI), however, is apparently lactose-free and it's a real treat.
Conclusion
For people in Spain, there are plenty of options among local cheeses. The glossary above will help you decipher the labels: go for cheeses labelled "viejo", "añejo", "curado" or "madurado" (aged) and avoid "fresco" (fresh).
After the desert crossing in France, Spain offers a great choice of lactose-free products in supermarkets. Plenty to enjoy!
Join me tomorrow for the next stage of my European dairy tour: Paris!
Have you ever travelled to Spain with lactose intolerance? Share your experiences in the comments!
None of the brands or shops mentioned are involved in any partnership. If that were the case, it would be clearly stated.
To go further
I wrote the practical guide Mieux vivre avec son intolérance au lactose: Le guide pratique pour comprendre, réintroduire et savourer les produits laitiers (Living Better with Lactose Intolerance: The Practical Guide to Understanding, Reintroducing, and Enjoying Dairy Products), available at book.lactose.help. For now, the book is only available in French, but you can vote for your language at lactose.help/book. We will translate the book based on the votes received.
📷 Sagrada Familia: Alex Ovs | Park Güell: Taisia Karaseva