In the mountains, we make use of everything and quince is no exception. Adapted to the cold Pyrenean winters, this seasonal fruit is harvested in autumn. As it’s a fruit with a hard texture that’s not very good to eat raw, it’s usually made into quince paste (codonyat), which keeps for a long time.
A rural tradition here is to mix some of the paste with oil to make quince aioli, one of the best known takes on the traditional garlic- and oil-based aioli sauce.
In our country and the surrounding Pyrenean regions, quince aioli is a highly regarded condiment that goes with all kinds of dishes, whether meat or fish, although it’s just as delicious spread generously over a good slice of bread. According to tradition, this is one of the typical recipes from Andorra la Vella.
Quince aioli is a thick yellow sauce, with some slightly pink tones, that has a somewhat spicy taste and can even be a bit bitter.
Like other mountain dishes, this one is highly nutritious. The basic ingredients used – garlic, quince and olive oil – all have health benefits, such as the antibacterial, antiparasitic and anticancer properties of raw garlic. Quince is a fruit with a low sugar content that’s rich in vitamin E and fibre, giving it antioxidant properties. And olive oil is a well-known source of monounsaturated fatty acids and antioxidants. We should add that like many good mountain recipes, it also has a lot of calories!
