Tradition rules more than mothers, so today, Dijous gras, it’s time to eat botifarra d’ou and kick off the Carnival with it. And as in this life everything needs competition, the tradition now also goes through the National Artisan Egg Butifarra Artisan Contest, which tells us which is the best egg botifarra of Catalonia each year.
This year, the contest has celebrated its tenth edition, recognizing the best elaborations of the country in two categories: traditional and singular, and one of them is in Barcelona, just a metro ride away. The jury, made up of master butchers and other professionals from the sector, evaluated 38 butifarras in the traditional category and 28 in the singular category, taking into account aspects such as product quality, external and internal appearance, texture, taste and aroma.
The best traditional botifarra d’ou
In the traditional category, the prize went to Ramon Hernando, from Charcuteria Hernando in Barcelona (Calle Balmes, 296). His egg sausage, made with the family recipe handed down since 1964, won over the jury for its texture, balance of flavors and authenticity. Second place went to Charcuteria Saborit from Calldetenes, in Osona, thus consolidating its position as one of the references in the sector.
The jury also awarded special mentions to Mercè Aloy (Charcuteria Mercè Aloy, Manresa), Jordi Pujol (Carnicería Jordi Pujol, Tossa de Mar) and Daniel Márquez Molina (Cal Noc, Moià), in recognition of the quality of their products.
Egg botifarra sausage with artichoke and onion confit
In the category of singular egg sausage, the first prize went to Josep Viladecàs, from Fussimanya (Tavèrnoles, Osona), who presented an innovative egg sausage with artichoke and onion confit. His proposal, inspired by rice with artichokes and sausages, has captivated the experts for its combination of flavors and balance between tradition and creativity.
Second place went to Ramon Hernando, who demonstrated his versatility with an egg sausage with soft goat cheese and caramelized onion. The jury also highlighted the creations of Enric Rosell (Ca l’Estevet, Ordal), Cesc Colom (Carnicería Colom Vila, Manlleu) and David Riera (Can Vilada, Vic), awarding them special mentions.