Picades

'Picadas' have been a closely guarded treasure passed down by grandmothers who, at the right moment, entrusted them only to their daughters. This is how they have been transmitted to this day: the well-kept secret of Catalan cuisine. A cuisine whose essence lies in the pantry, where bay leaves, garlic heads, onions, four almonds and pine nuts, small bunches of thyme and rosemary are stored, along with coastal sardines, stale bread, and aged wine, and where mushrooms and forest truffles are dried. With these humble ingredients, the mortar's alchemy infuses dishes with personality and fills them with aromas.

The book compiles 'picadas' found throughout the country, from Pallars to Urgell, from Empordà to Delta de l'Ebre... With the aim of preserving them, we have included new, tasty, and original picadas, along with additional recipes from grandmothers, housewives, inns, and chefs, demonstrating why every Catalan household should always have a mortar at the ready.