Where to eat
Gastronomy
The cuisine of Les Garrigues encompasses a wide variety of dishes, and locally produced extra virgin olive oil is a jewel in the crown amongst the ingredients.
It is customary in Les Garrigues to cook with local produce. Almonds, sweet fruit and honey are amongst the foods, harvested in the region.
Arbequina olives are a hit aperitif both with the locals and visitors.
The gastronomy of Les Garrigues is varied and rich, ranging from the typical peasant dishes, like olla barrejada (broth with meat and vegetables), faves (broad beans), and caragols bullits amb allioli (boiled snails with a garlic mayonnaise) to the wide array of salads, which are drizzled with the excellent olive oil, produced in the region.
The homemade butifarra negra (sausage), cansalada amb mongetes (bacon with beans) or escudella (soup with meat and vegetables) are common dishes in every Garrigues village, similarly, caragols a la llauna (grilled snails) are a popular dish in most of Lleida’s regions.
Pa de ronyó (a kind of bread) is traditional for all the villages in Les Garrigues, although nowadays it is made only in Cervià and les Borges Blanques, where it originated.
Cassola de tros is a stew with locally sourced ingredients, cooked in an earthenware pot. As a gastronomic tradition, cassola competitions are held every year in various villages. They are full of fun and welcome large numbers of participants.
Orelletes are the distinctive sweets of the region. Cooking them at home, especially for the local festival, is a tradition preserved to this day. You can also buy them at the baker’s.
Consell Comarcal de les Garrigues, together with restaurants of the region, organizes Mostra Gastronòmica de les Garrigues (Garrigues Gastronomic Weeks). It is usually held in November every year.
Mostra Gastronòmica de les Garrigues was created with an idea to present and promote the traditional cuisine of our region. It is the space, where people get an opportunity to savour our special olive oil in the variety of tasty dishes.
