Millions of tourists visit Andorra each year and people keep coming back for a variety of reasons, from the excellent Andorra ski slopes to the breathtaking Pyrenean landscapes to the unique Andorra culture to the memorable food of Andorra. The Andorran cuisine is a special blend of filling wintery delights and fresh Mediterranean ingredients. That makes the traditional Andorra food one of the highlights of any holiday to the microstate.
Then, there’s the fact that the restaurants in Andorra offer some of the most picturesque and sensational mountain views of anywhere in the world. And, you won’t need to worry about what to eat in Andorra, as these restaurants serve worldwide cuisines in addition to Andorra traditional food.
In this guide to the food of Andorra, we break down all you need to know about eating your way around the microstate during a trip, while we also discuss the national dish of Andorra and how to make it at home.
Best food of Andorra: What is the most famous food in Andorra?
There are many delectable foods in Andorra, both savoury and sweet, but one dish stands out as an absolute must-try and that’s escudella, which is the national dish of Andorra. Put simply, Andorran escudella is a pork stew with cooked pasta, pulses and seasonal vegetables. That makes it a great winter dish for visitors during the Andorra ski season.
There are many other excellent examples of Andorran food worth trying, and they include trinxat (a hearty dish of mashed potatoes, cabbage, leeks and meat), snails (a local delicacy, usually seasoned with local spices before they are grilled over charcoal) and Andorran-style fish (trout, salmon or cod are the most common sea food of Andorra).
On top of that, you’ll find many other types of food that sound more familiar, but they may be served “a la Andorrana”, which means Andorran-style and which usually tells you that the dish will be grilled with garlic and served with some ham. You might enjoy testing out the slightly different versions of these dishes that you know from elsewhere, giving the “a la Andorrana” version a chance.
National dish of Andorra: What is the best escudella recipe?
As mentioned above, escudella is the national dish of Andorra and the most traditional Andorra food. To indulge in the best escudella, you’ll want head to one of the charming bordas or bordes (old storehouses that have been converted into restaurants), where they’ll take pride in serving up this culinary delight.
However, you might wish to make this famous example of Andorran cuisine yourself. For that, you’ll need the best and simplest escudella recipe, which would be the following:
- Bring several litres of water to a boil and add chopped pork plus seasonal vegetables, such as onions, celery, carrots, beans and chickpeas.
- Leave these prime examples of Andorran food boiling for two hours, before adding white cabbage.
- After another 20 minutes, add diced potatoes, a little pumpkin plus pasta shells.
- After another 20 minutes, remove the larger items and cut them into smaller pieces before returning to the pot along with some salt.
- After five minutes, your escudella, the national dish of Andorra, should be ready to serve.
Andorran cuisine: What is the national dessert of Andorra?
Of the many Andorra traditional food options which appear on a dessert menu, the Crema Andorrana is by far the most popular and the most traditional food in Andorra in terms of desserts. Crema Andorrana is similar to Crème Brûlée, but with Andorran cuisine version has merengue or cream on top.
Traditional Andorra food in winter: What do people in Andorra eat for Christmas?
During the winter months, Andorra is especially busy as this is the peak for the ski season. And, the locals love nothing more than to embrace their heritage and share the most delightful Andorran food with the Christmas season visitors.
The stew dishes like trinxat and escudella are very popular at this time of year, while there are also several sweet traditional Andorra foods, such as coques, a flatbread which is often topped with sugar, almonds and pine nuts.
Winter is also the best time of the year for Andorra street food, as you’ll find stalls selling hearty winter dishes at the Christmas markets, such as the famous Christmas market at Andorra la Vella.
No matter whether you visit in winter or summer, though, the food of Andorra is memorable all year round, while the views of the restaurants where the Andorran cuisine is served are simply unbeatable.