From Morocco to Poland: Algaida's cuisine unites cultures in a book

AlgaidaAnthony Bourdain said that the best way to get to know someone is to share a meal, and that when someone invites you to sit at their table, they are really inviting you into their world. Because in every dish, however simple, there is a story, and every recipe is a journey of no return. The municipality of Algaida travels the world through the kitchens of the families who live in the town and in the villages of Pina and Randa, transforming gastronomy into a meeting place where diversity is experienced, shared, and celebrated.

On Saturday night, the Algaida Town Hall presented the cookbookLittle suckling pigs. Gastronomic offerings from families from all over the world living in AlgaidaThis project goes far beyond a simple compilation of cooking methods. It's a community initiative driven by the Youth Department that showcases the municipality's cultural diversity through cuisine, understood as a space for encounter, identity, and social cohesion.

Beef tagine with Moroccan prunes and almonds, Żurek (Polish soup),Papanaşifrom Romania,Male pikeFrom Bolivia, pork belly seasoned with soy and spices, Hong shāo rouFrom China, are just a few examples of the 22 recipes included in the book.

There is a recipe for each participating family, and it's represented by a map showing all the countries represented in Algaida. Besides the four mentioned, we find cuisine from Cuba, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Brazil, Argentina, France, Germany, Poland, Ukraine, the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, and Hungary.

The book was presented by the mayor of Algaida, Margalida Fullana; the councilor for Youth, Adrià Argüés; the Culture technician, Tomeu Sales; and the head of the Youth Service, Kika Martí.

In fact, the initiative was coordinated by the youth technician and facilitator of the Youth Center, Kika Martí, who explains that the idea arose from a reality observed within the service itself. "Around 2023, we realized that many of the families who came to the Youth Service were of foreign nationality," she explains. From there, Martí analyzed the census data and confirmed that the number of young people with foreign nationality—whether recently arrived or not—was very high. "Suddenly I thought it would be interesting to do a project that would unite and raise awareness of this reality," he explains. The proposal was shared with the municipal librarian and cultural officer, Tomeu Sales, as well as with the respective council departments, who, despite viewing the project very favorably, were aware that it represented a significant challenge. From the outset, the intention was to work collaboratively, also incorporating Social Services, which works with many families of diverse nationalities. The Youth Department has been the driving force and coordinator of the project from beginning to end: from the initial drafting, the call to the public, and the encouragement of participation, to the coordination with other municipal departments, the scheduling of visits to families, assistance with purchasing ingredients in some cases, and the writing and translation of the recipes.

There has also been voluntary participation from young people in the municipality trained or interested in the audiovisual field, who have been in charge of the photographs and video recordings, as well as with a young local artist who has illustrated the cover of the book and who has graphically interpreted the concept of 'Little Milks.

Visibility

Despite the final result, Martí is clear that the book wasn't the main objective. "The book, which is the visual result, is the least important thing to me," he says. The project's central focus was to give visibility to families with foreign nationality residing in Algaida and involve them in a shared initiative. It also aimed to showcase the diverse cultures that coexist in the municipality, using cuisine as a unifying and enriching element. Another objective was to involve young people from the town, foster networking among different municipal services, and ultimately, bring families closer to the local administration and build new bonds of trust. To launch the project, an open call was made to young people between the ages of 12 and 30 residing in Algaida, with foreign nationality or children of foreign parents. Information was also sent directly to families using social services who fit this profile. Initially, around twenty participants were expected, but ultimately 22 families took part, all of whom were included in the project.

Each family was invited to think of a recipe from their country of origin that they would like to share. In many cases, language was a barrier, and they had to rely on completing forms and subsequently translating the recipe. Once the visits were completed and the photographs and videos were taken, measurement and preparation criteria were standardized to ensure consistency throughout. The process culminated in the book's layout, linguistic proofreading by the librarian, and a final review by the families.

Regarding the structure, neither the type of dish nor the nationality was chosen. After many trials, it was decided to arrange the recipes alphabetically by family lineage, with the aim of blending cultures. The book also includes an index by country and another by main ingredients or preparation methods. Each recipe includes images of the finished dish and, in some cases, of the preparation process.

For Martí, the most enriching part of the project has been the encounters with the families. "Each visit was like traveling to a different country," she explains. The families not only shared the recipe, but also their history, their town or city of origin, their language, culture, and culinary traditions. "They all made us try the dishes… we got so full!" she recalls with a laugh. Despite the initial doubts of some participants—recipes inherited from godmothers or aunts, or dishes they had never cooked on their own—the result has been a source of shared pride.

Little MilksIt is, ultimately, a collective project that enriches coexistence and transforms Algaida's diversity into a visible, shared, and celebrated value. The project is part of the Algaida Educating Municipality initiative, which it has joined in 2018. In fact, it has submitted the project for the 2026 Educating City Awards and has been selected, pending the announcement of the verdict. The book can be purchased from Monday, February 9th, at the municipal library for €10 per copy.