Andorra

Located in the mountains between France and Spain, Andorra is one of the smallest countries in the world, only 2.5 times the size of Washington, D.C.   Despite its size, it boasts a robust economy, high life expectancy, and the highest capital city in Europe (Andorra la Vella).  Catalan is the official language.

Video List

• Geography Now! Andorra - this video is a little old, but still quite informative and fun
• Geography more! Andorra, etc. - some additional facts about Andorra, goes until 1:56
• A Super Quick History of Andorra - quick but entertaining and informative
  
• Rick Steves' Travel Bite: Andorra - my kiddos weren't that excited about this video, but it has great views of Andorra and is quick
  
• Things to Know Before Visiting Andorra - the audio on this one is a little rough, but my kids really liked Mansoureh as a guide
• Andorran Cuisine - we would have preferred a video explaining what each dish was, but this was a decent overview
  
  

I was happy to find a recipe for the Andorran national dish - escudella!  This is a rich and meaty Catalan stew that has a little bit of everything in it: three kinds of meat (sausage, chicken, ham) and about every major carb/fiber group you can think of (shell pasta, garbanzo beans, rice, white beans, potato).  Oh, and cabbage!  I used this recipe, but other recipes have slightly different ingredients but still the basic mashup of lots of meats and lots of different grains and beans.

This dish is now typically served in the winter, especially around Christmas, but we are enjoying it in the heat of a Texas summer!  😅

The whole family agreed that the flavor was quite good, but it was really rich so it took us awhile to finish it off.  (Hello, heartburn!)  Also, if I had to do it again, I think I would time the cooking of the different ingredients a little more instead of throwing them all in at the same time like the recipe indicates.  Then I think each item would still be distinct instead of all mushed up together.