THE MEANING OF “BORDA”

A Borda is a country house separated from the town, and normally is used to stock the tools of the farmer or to keep save the animals, is used as well as a drying place on the first floor.

Nowadays, the Bordas are a very common construction around the Andorran rural geography. They can be compared to the typical rural Spanish houses as the “Masia” from Catalonia, the “Pazo” from Galicia o the “Caserío” from the País Vasco, but with the difference that the “Borda” was not used to live in, only when there were bad weather conditions and the farmers could not arrive at home.

A lot of “Bordas” have been restored, and today can be found as beautiful houses, and sometimes as restaurants

I can confirm that there is a common point in the cuisine that is prepared in the “borda-restaurants”: this cuisine is based in products provided by the mountain, this characteristic makes them different from other cuisines of the Principality of Andorra.

In the Andorran Borda’s you can taste the first season mushrooms, as well in spring or autumn and you can enjoy the best culin game dishes. Meat has a great quality even more if it’s fire-wood cooked, and in season, accompanied by excellent salads as “xicoia” or “enciam de font”.

Joan Berenguer