The main lure of
Galician food lies in its variety, so much so that it is hard to say
which is the typical dish of the region. But if there is one thing
common to all these dishes, it is the way they are prepared; informally,
traditionally, with great affection and care and in great quantity and
variety. The same food can be prepared in countless different ways, each
with a particular variation in the taste. It can be said that Galician
cuisine is classical, in the same sense that this term is applied to the
history of art, because it reaches perfection with the simplest and most
naturally combined ingredients.
Lacón con
grelos (ham with turnips) is one of the most representative dishes in
winter months, and is eaten from San Martiño, at the beginning of
November, up to Shrove Tuesday. Potatoes and chorizo (pork sausage) are
added to the ham stew and whole turnips. Another hearty dish is cocido
gallego (Galician stew), consisting of ham, beef and chicken, chorizo,
and turnips or cabbage, potatoes and chick peas. In the depths of winter,
especially at Christmas, one of the most tasty meats is capon, born in
April and fattened up with great care in the capoeira (coop) a month
before it is killed. There are many places in Galicia where the
fattening is a ritual, dating from at least as far back as the fifteenth
century, with perhaps the rituals at Terra Cha and those in Vilalba in
particular, being the most famous.
Empanadas (meat or fish pies) deserve
their own special section. A wide variety of fillings can be used and one of
the characteristics of the Galician empanada is its soft, light and high
quality pastry, especially in coastal areas. Saffron, oil, pepper and lots
of onion are always mixed in with the cold meat.
To talk about fish and seafood in Galicia
could be a cliche, but we’re not going to keep quiet about it because of
that. The range of fish is extensive to say the least, with the most tasty
being, unquestionably, those caught in the rías (estuaries) or just off the
coast: hake, turbot, sea-bass, grouper, sole, etc. They are served in
classical ways, a la plancha (grilled), a la gallega (Galician style), in a
caldeirada (fish stew), or cooked in a variety of sophisticated ways by
expert chefs.
Moving on to seafood and shellfish, there
is the delicious shrimp, which makes a much-appreciated starter, and squid
and cuttlefish, fried or served in their ink, or the small crab. Barnacles
contain all the quintessential flavours of the sea, followed by the
shellfish that are eaten raw such as the clam and the oyster. Another group
of shellfish appear in main courses, such as the spider crab with its three
flavours, the crayfish, the lobster, prawns, scallop and clams in their
innumerable sauces or the nutritious and plentiful mussel. To finish off
with there is the octopus, a mollusc which deserves a special mention
because of its humble nature and because it is eaten all year round and at
every fiesta in Galicia as octopus a la feira, where it is boiled, chopped
into pieces, seasoned with paprika and salt and sprinkled with olive oil.
Among freshwater fish, you
can eat trout and salmon, baby eels and eels, shads, sea-trout, lampreys,
etc.
To round off this brief look at Galician
cuisine let us not overlook the goodness of its fresh cheeses, its superbly
prepared cakes and pastries and filloas (a type of crepe); the most original
and delightful dessert that Galicia has to offer.
’Nothing is produced in
Galicia – said the oenologist Xosé Posada – with such care and attention as
wine’. It is made all over Galicia, although mainly in the southern half of
the region. There are, broadly speaking, three outstanding main
denominations: Rías Baixas, Ribeiro and Valdeorras. You can also try the
wines unique to each area, especially those in Amandi and Monforte, and
those in the valleys of Verín and Monterrei, without forgetting, of course,
that a hearty meal can always be rounded off with a cheering queimada to aid
the digestion.
