Inaugural Campus Andorra Orígens Launches High-Mountain Gastronomy Training

Around 22 professionals from Andorra and abroad took part in the inaugural Campus Andorra Orígens on high-mountain gastronomy, held at Espai Commencal in La Massana on 12 and 13 January.

Organised by Andorra Turisme within its 2025 Gastronomic Plan, the two-day event provided hands-on training for chefs, marking the third initiative in the series but the first centred on kitchen techniques rather than service or marketing. Enric Torres, director of Product and Events, explained that the goal is to position high-mountain cuisine as a defining Pyrenean feature, especially as restaurant numbers grow. He emphasised integrating local producers and mountain ingredients to strengthen ties between food, landscape, territory, and identity for both residents and tourists.

The programme opened with welcoming remarks from Tourism and Commerce Minister Jordi Torres, who urged participants to step back from daily operations and explore fresh perspectives on cooking through shared expertise. Benjamín Lana, director general of Vocento Gastronomía and organiser of Andorra Taste, gave the keynote address titled "Tradition as Vanguard." He described culinary heritage as a living foundation for innovation, where memory, creativity, and territory find balance. Lana compared tradition to pil-pil sauce: if it stagnates, it separates.

Day one featured Hilario Arbelaitz of Antic Zuberoa in Irruñotz, who recounted his path in preserving family recipes during the rise of Nueva Cocina Vasca, including sharing the Zuberoa cheesecake recipe. Jon Ayala from Laia Erretegia in Hondarribia conducted a grilling workshop on fire management, fuel choices, timing, intensity, and product pairings, using matured Galician beef. He called it "paleolithic cooking," stirring deep ancestral memories of hearth and warmth. Afternoon sessions included Josep Maria Masó of Tanganà and Fonda Puig on time as a key element in mountain cuisine, and Xavier Pellicer on vegetable cooking with local sourcing and low-temperature methods.

The second day focused on Pyrenean identity, sustainability, and future challenges, with inputs from Albert Boronat on authorial Pyrenean cuisine, Toni Massanés on tomorrow's food systems, Salvador Brugués on low-temperature techniques, Jordi Butrón on creative processes, and Ana Belén González Pinos on high-altitude cheeses.

Local attendees included Rodrigo Martínez of Beç, Bar del Poble, and Rosta; Jordi Grau of Hermitage; Miquel Canturri of Minim’s; and José Antonio Guillermo of Odetti Bistró. Guillermo noted that such events help teams evolve and make better use of domestic products, pushing for classics like escudella on menus. Martínez described the experience as enriching, with adaptable techniques and recipes to elevate Andorra's gastronomic scene.

Andorra Turisme intends to sustain this practical format alongside Andorra Taste and outreach in markets like Toulouse, Barcelona, and Madrid to advance mountain-specialised cuisine.