Autumn Cuisine in Berguedà: Mushrooms, Chestnuts, and Game

Autumn in Berguedà is synonymous with bolets (mushrooms). From late September through November, forests fill with rovellons (saffron milk caps), ceps (porcini), rossinyols (chanterelles), trompetes negres (black trumpets), and many other species. Late-summer rain followed by cool autumn temperatures creates ideal fruiting conditions.

Mushroom foraging is a passion here—families guard secret spots, early mornings see cars parked along forest roads, and conversations revolve around where the best finds are this year. It's comparable to truffle hunting in Piedmont or morel hunting in the American Midwest—a seasonal obsession.

In the kitchen:

• Rovellons a la planxa: Grilled with garlic and parsley—the classic preparation. See the mushroom article for detailed recipe.
• Ceps saltats (sautéed porcini): Slice, sauté in olive oil with garlic, add chopped parsley, salt. Serve over toast or with a fried egg. Measurements: 400g (14 oz) ceps, 3 garlic cloves, 3 tbsp olive oil, parsley. Serves 4.
• Guisat amb bolets (stew with mushrooms): Beef, veal, or pork slowly braised with mixed wild mushrooms, white wine, picada (ground almonds, garlic, parsley—a Catalan thickening paste). Rich umami depth. Cooking time: 90-120 minutes.
• Arròs de bolets (mushroom rice): Similar to risotto but less creamy. Rice cooked with mushroom stock, sofregit, and fresh or dried mushrooms. Tip: Use dried mushrooms (soaked, liquid reserved for stock) in winter when fresh are unavailable.

Drying mushrooms preserves the harvest: clean, slice, lay on racks in a warm, dry place (or use a dehydrator at 50°C / 120°F) for 24-48 hours. Store in jars. Rehydrate in warm water before using—the soaking liquid is liquid gold, full of umami.

Chestnuts (castanyes): Gathered from October through November from chestnut groves in humid valleys. Roasted over fire (castanyes a la brasa), they're one of autumn's most cherished traditions. The Castanyada (November 1, All Saints' Day) celebrates this fruit with roasted chestnuts, panellets (marzipan sweets), sweet wine, and oven-baked sweet potatoes. It's Catalonia's autumn festival, similar to Halloween but focused on remembering the dead and eating seasonal foods.

How to roast chestnuts: Score an X on the flat side (prevents explosion), roast in a perforated pan over fire or in 200°C (400°F) oven for 20-30 min. Peel while hot, eat with sweet wine. Measurement: 100-150g (3.5-5 oz) per person.

Other autumn products:

• Sweet potatoes (moniatos): Sweet and nutritious, traditionally baked whole for the Castanyada. Also excellent in soups, roasted as side dishes, or in sweet preparations.
• Pumpkins (carabasses): For soups, confits, and All Saints' decorations. Sopa de carabassa: Pumpkin soup with garlic, olive oil, bread—simple and warming.
• Walnuts (nous): Harvested from walnut trees across the region. Used in sweets (panellets, cakes), paired with cheese, added to salads. Fresh autumn walnuts are milder than stored ones.
• Quinces (codony): The fruit used to make codonyat (quince paste/membrillo)—the quintessential autumn preserve. Too astringent to eat raw, quinces transform through long cooking with sugar into a dense, amber paste perfect with cheese.

Hunting season begins in autumn, bringing rich-flavored game meats:

Wild boar (porc senglar) is the most common game. The meat is dark, lean, and intensely flavored. Civet de senglar (wild boar stew) is among the most emblematic autumn dishes: boar marinated overnight in red wine with aromatics, then slowly braised with vegetables, dried mushrooms, and dark chocolate (which adds depth without sweetness). Recipe: 1kg (2 lbs) boar shoulder, cubed; marinate overnight in 500ml (2 cups) red wine, onion, carrot, bay, thyme; drain (reserve marinade); brown meat in olive oil; add marinade, stock, sofregit, dried mushrooms, simmer 2-3 hours until tender; finish with picada and 20g (¾ oz) dark chocolate. Serves 6.

Wild rabbit (conill de bosc): Cooked with snails (conill amb cargols)—an iconic Catalan combination—or with samfaina (Catalan ratatouille). More delicate than boar, it suits shorter cooking.

Forest cuisine philosophy: Use everything nature offers. Alongside mushrooms and game, aromatic herbs (thyme, rosemary, oregano) add fragrance to stews. River trout (truita de riu), though increasingly rare, is exceptional when available—some restaurants in upper Berguedà offer it in season, simply grilled or pan-fried with almonds.