Andorra is high in the mountains, so the food reflects a hardy practical people who learned to turn ordinary ingredients into delightful and filling cuisine.
By John Jacobs
The microstate of Andorra is found in the heart of the Pyrenees Mountains and is the highest inhabited European country. Once under Spanish rule, followed by French rule, the Principality of Andorra is comfortably located between France and Spain. It is a mere 181 square miles in size and has a population of 85,000.
Given its history and location, it is not surprising that the traditional food of this quaint country is influenced most by Catalonia. The Catalans is an ethnic group comprised of people from northern Spain and southern France.
Turning Need for Filling Dishes into Exceptional Cuisine
That is the background, but the description does little to convey the unique cuisine of this colorful country. Traditional dishes are a blend of exquisite French recipes, bolder Spanish recipes, and practical additions reflecting high mountain living. The result is a somewhat exotic, somewhat hearty, and somewhat exquisite range of foods and flavors that make up an exceptional cuisine.
The recipes use natural resources like meat from cows, sheep, pigs, horse, hare, wild boar and goats; fish; vegetables that have been traditionally grown in local gardens; and mountain herbs, mushrooms and wild berries. Nectum is a salad dressing made from the pine cones of the European silver fir.
The cuisine of Andorra is usually called Catalan, but it truly has a much greater infusion of various cultures and includes unique approaches to food preparation.
For example, the national dish is a hearty winter stew called escudella. It is made with vegetables, white beans, potato, rice, chickpeas, pasta and an amazing variety of meats. The traditional recipe is anything but traditional because pasta, vegetables and pulses (beans) form the base, but cooks add a variety of meats of their choosing. The meats may include a mix of ham bone and marrow, sausages, prosciutto, veal, chicken, pig ears or snouts, meatballs, and trotters, in any combination.
If able to visit Andorra, the ideal way to try this remarkable stew is at a bordas or barn converted into rustic restaurants. On second thought, perhaps there is a traditional escudella. The Brotherhood of Escudellaires are guardians of the traditional recipe which they make each year in Village Square during the annual Sant Antoni celebration. So anyone who wants to taste an authentic stew needs to visit the country on Jan. 17.
Getting Down to Basics: Meat, Cheese, Fish
Andorra's interesting cuisine has a lot more to offer than stew.
Trinxat de Montanya is a Pyrenees dish made with potatoes, winter cabbage, garlic and tocino (bacon).
Mushrooms are popular dishes, too, and are served in a variety of ways. It might be white mushrooms in a cream sauce or mushrooms in a warm spinach salad or an omelet made with mushrooms (truite de carreroles).
Dandelion leaf salad and escalibada (roasted vegetables) are also frequently served.
Andorra's specialties are meat and cheese. Andorrans love meat dishes – all kinds of meat. There is hare stewed in wine, lamb chops or roasted lamb, all kinds of domestic and wild meat grilled on an open fire, and plenty of pork dishes.
Cured pork sausage is one of the most popular items and is homemade for special events. There is Botifarra, similar to bratwurst; Bull de Llengua made of boiled tongue; Chorizon which is a spicy Spanish salami flavored with chili peppers, garlic, and sauces; Salchichon or salami made of very lean pork flavored with paprika; and Saucisse de Toulouse which bears a Red Label (quality) guarantee, to name a few.
Ham is just as popular as pork sausage. Another popular food is Andorran-style cannelloni which are dough puffs filled with a meat mixture of lamb, and chicken.
Andorrans also enjoy fish and a traditional recipe is cod au gratin with aioli sauce made of garlic and olive oil. Trout is stuffed with ham; whole trout is seasoned with olive oil, lemon juice, and parsley, and then grilled; and trout is served with a prosciutto topping.
Andorrans also love snails. Cargols a la llauna are slow–roasted snails served with an olive oil vinaigrette with paprika or aioli which is a garlic mayonnaise. Snails are also roasted with tomatoes or cooked in a sausage-tomato sauce.
Cheese (formatge) is also a major food item with high-quality cheeses made primarily from sheep and goat's milk in the northern region of Andorra.
Fromage de Tupi is a traditional fermented cheese aged in a clay pot. It is made from goat, sheep or cow's milk, and olive oil or liqueur. The cheese is seasoned with garlic and then mixed with butter, honey or tomato sauce to lighten the pungent flavor.
From creamy soft cheeses to hard cheeses, Andorrans enjoy this food at most meals. In fact, diners can enjoy the cheese and a glass of wine and Pa amb Tomàquet for a meal. Pa amb Tomàquet is a traditional Catalan recipe of toasted, lightly oiled baguette bread slices that are rubbed with garlic and a halved tomato and drizzled with olive oil.
Satisfying the Sweet Tooth
There are glorious desserts. Torrijas are traditionally served during religious holidays like Lent and Easter. They are made with slices of bread soaked in milk or wine with honey and spices. The soaked bread is dipped in egg and pan-fried, and then rolled in sugar or topped with jam.
After the end of Lent, Andorrans enjoy sweets like bunyols de vent (fried pastry filled with honey or pastry cream) and mona de Pasqua (cake topped with boiled eggs in traditional version). There is a shortcake with cedar nuts and cream; Crème Catalana which is like Crème Brulée; Catànies which are almonds covered with white chocolate and powdered black chocolate; and Mel i Mató or honey on mató cheese.
One thing is for certain – Andorrans eat well. They have learned over the centuries to use spices and locally grown products with great expertise, creating delicious dishes that reflect a cultural heritage.
Passing from generation to generation, many recipes do not include measurements. The end result is that each and every dish is unique.