The jump from the steak to the vegetable ‘burger’ told by a butcher from Barcelona

It is 10 in the morning in the Ninot market and the screen installed as a result of the covid-19 indicates that the occupancy level is low. Taking advantage of the fact that there are few customers, José Antonio Morales grabs a piece of 24 kilos of matured cow from Asturias and dips his finger into the meat: “It’s like butter & rdquor ;, he explains with a pride not suitable for vegetarians. He speaks with such passion that no one would say that been up since three thirty am. The 40-year career of this butcher and his great ability to adapt to new times reflects the history of changes in the nutritional habits of Catalans.

Born in Granada into a family dedicated to selling in the markets, he arrived in Barcelona when he was 15 years old and went directly to work at a stop in the Carmel neighborhood. It was the 1980s and soon the Moraleses were expanding their butchers and delicatessens even outside the capital’s borders. With his brothers they had 13 stops and shops in Barcelona, ​​Manresa, Sitges, Castelldefels & mldr; They sold meat, chicken and frozen foods. Business was booming.

The ‘boom’ of meat

They were the years of ‘boom ‘of the meat. The ribeye and red meat in general were a sign of progress and wealth in a Spain where the postwar nutritional deficit it had wreaked havoc. Between 1960 and 2000, per capita meat consumption increased fivefold, which also led to a increased disease associated with excessive consumption of protein and animal fat.

“It is clear that eating meat every day is not advisable and you will end up suffering from gout and other diseases,” Jose admits. But eat once in a while a good sirloin from an animal that has eaten grass & mldr; that’s something else & rdquor ;.

The Morales brothers ended up separating and Jose settled on his own in 1995. A decade later, in addition to being in charge of the business, he was also left in charge of three daughters, whom he supported financially thanks to the butcher shop. But he soon realized that the market had diversified. Clients no longer said “give me the usual & rdquor; Instead, they were looking for other types of products suited to different personal tastes.

Burgers with fruits

“Staying in business takes a lot of work. There is a lot of competition, but Innovating has its advantages because it expands trade. I invented the burgers with fruits: watermelon, strawberry, apple & mldr; And then we add sucos, chickpeas, pumpkin, spinach & mldr; & rdquor ;.

One of his daughters started working with him and one day she told him: “I have discovered that I am a vegetarian. I hate meat!& rdquor ;. The father reprimanded her: “Shut up, we live on this! & Rdquor ;. Now she is a vegetarian chef on the island of Guadalupe.

His daughter’s confession did not take him by surprise. The new generations, and especially young women, have another sensitivity. “My granddaughter is celiac. Is this chorizo ​​gluten-free? & Rdquor ;, asks a customer. Indeed, it is gluten-free chorizo. Along with the Galician entrecote, the steak from the Basque Country, the matured cow from Asturias, the Angus cow, the oxtail, the blood sausage, the flat top, the nock, the churrasco, the Iberian secret and the chickens, this Ninot stop also offers up 17 varieties of croquettes homemade, many for vegetarians, and veggie burgers.

The fashion of the Iberian pig

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“Now there are more vegetarians, but people are still looking for good meat or good chicken. Less meat is eaten, but of higher quality -assures this merchant-. The white pig is almost not for sale and the chorizo, salchichón and sobrasada have dropped a lot because the customer does not want to abuse fats. Now Iberian pork pieces have become fashionable and more and more young people come to the market on the weekend looking for quality meat & rdquor ;.

It currently has two stops in the Ninot and also in the Sant Antoni, Provençals and Guinardó markets. Every day he gets up at three thirty in the morning and until nine at night he is at the foot of the canyon. “To do this, either you like your job or you don’t,” he says. And he likes it because customers come not only for the product but also for its friendly and familiar treatment.