The new escudella by Jordi Vilà is eaten on the street

Jordi Vilà has been reinterpreting one of the most charismatic recipes in Catalan cuisine for some time. Not only did he devise a celebrated game escudella, but he has also created summer and autumn versions that modernize the formula without losing its essence. This very week, the chef has gone a step further and launched Escudella Street, which is served in a cup with a compostable spoon and is ideal for taking to work or eating on the street.

"The idea of Escudella Street emerged years ago, seeing how we increasingly prefer ramen to escudella: we crave ramen, there are dozens of places in cities where it's served, but it seems that escudella, which has a lot of ramen in it (and ramen, of escudella), has been forgotten." For this reason, Vilà has devised an easy-to-eat version, adapting the cut of the vegetables and meats to make them easy to enjoy by the spoonful. Escudella Street is sold in two formats: size L, at 7.73 euros per unit, and size XL, costing 12.80 euros.

Valuing gastronomic tradition

As Vilà points out, all cultures have their own version of escudella, since broth-based dishes, where the cooked ingredients are utilized, are among the oldest in history. Why have we set it aside, then? For Vilà, part of the answer has to do with the fact that we want to keep up in a world marked by global, attractive, and tempting trends, something that makes it easier to eat a good pizza or a good pesto than a good coca de recapte or a good romesco. "It's great to know the world and other cuisines, but we shouldn't forget what's cooking in our own pot at home," he notes.

Precisely for this reason, the chef advocates for escudella to be present again on Barcelona's menus. "It is necessary for this dish to return strongly to restaurants, for us to be able to order it on a daily menu, and for it to be in stores so we can take it home." On the other hand, Vilà also believes it is important to champion those restaurants that have always served it, whether in the form of broth with pasta, escudella in several courses (as in his restaurant Vivanda), or mixed escudella.

Towards a new Catalan cuisine

However, part of the genius of the new Escudella Street is that it does not seek to impose an untouchable tradition, but rather adapts the recipe to modern times. And that is because respecting tradition also means translating it into new formats, for example, reducing fats and sugars when necessary or simplifying it so that it is easy to replicate at home. As Vilà points out: "One of my dreams is to make Catalan and sexy cuisine, to show that it is not vulgar at all. And I say this for two reasons: first, so as not to lose it; and, second, because local cuisine speaks of a territory and safeguards it."

On the other hand, it is undeniable that we have less and less time to cook and that formats such as take-away are gaining momentum. But here we must be careful, as the chef warns: "If we don't find time to nourish ourselves properly, it will be necessary to trust those who know how to do it best, that is, those chefs who work with seasonal and local raw materials, when possible, and who do not add unnecessary ingredients to recipes. We must pay close attention to the label!"

Part of the genius of the new Escudella Street is that it does not seek to impose an untouchable tradition, but rather adapts the recipe to modern times.