Andorra: The Land of Surprises

When I saw that Andorra was next on my list, I was instantly concerned. I had no idea what to expect, because I had no idea where Andorra was!

I was pleasantly surprised when I unrolled my poster-sized world map (newly purchased for this project) and found that this tiny country is nestled in the Pyrenees Mountains, right in between Spain and France. Who knew?!

Since I was surprised by this discovery, I'm hoping that you are too. So, I feel obliged to tell you a little about Andorra. The country itself is only 181 square miles, with a population of 83,888. The main (and, well, only) industry is tourism. The mountainous country receives snowfall nearly half the year, so it is ideal for ski vacations. During the summer, hiking and mountain climbing are popular activities.

French and Spanish cuisine are two of my absolute favorites, so I couldn't wait to start doing an Internet search for Andorran recipes. Maybe they have their own version of paella or tortilla Española, I thought. My mouth was watering just thinking about it!

And that is when I got my next surprise - I found NOTHING! Well, nothing is a bit of an exaggeration, but what I found was very limited. My goal is to cook something that is truly representative of the country, and I did read about two native dishes that are very common in Andorra. One is called trinxat, a cabbage and potato cake. It is made by boiling cabbage and potatoes until extremely tender, mashing the vegetables, then adding diced cooked bacon and sauteed garlic. You can either serve the mixture as is, or form it into cakes and fry them. The other is called coques, or Andorran flat cakes. This is a simple dessert made primarily of sugar, flour, eggs, torn rolls, and flavored oil (I used apple oil). The dough is shaped into rectangles and baked until cooked through.

I ended up with one recipe that listed measurements in grams and milliliters, so some conversion was necessary. But I kept finding different conversion numbers online, so I was not feeling particularly confident. I also tried to cut both recipes in half, because the quantities just seemed excessive. My flat cake dough was refusing to thicken. When Ted came home the house was filled with the unpleasant odor of boiled cabbage, and I could tell he was nervous. I expected Andorra to be my first failure.

But then... surprise number three! The trinxat was filling and flavorful and a great compliment to grilled beef. The coques were light and airy. A nice sweet treat to end a hearty meal.

Andorra scores a 2.75.

Onward we go!