The main allure of Galician gastronomy
is its variety, to such an extent that it is hard to tell which
is the most typical dish of the region. If there is one characteristic
that links all the dishes, it must be the familiar, loving way of
cooking, with slow craft and varied abundance. The same product
can be cooked in many ways and has a different taste in different
places. It could be said that Galician cuisine is a classical one,
in the sense given by history or art, because it reaches its peak
with the simplest elements naturally combined. The laeon con grelos
(shoulder of pork with a turnip tops) is a typical dish of the cold
months, from San Martiño, at the beginning of November, to
Shrove Tuesday. Potatoes and chorizo (a spicy sausage), are usually
added to the boiled pork and the chunks of cabbage. Another important
dish is the Galician stew, made of ham, beef, poulard and chorizo,
accompanied by cabbage, potatoes and chickpeas. In mid-winter, mainly
at Christmas time, the capon is considered a select meat. The chicks
are hatched in April and scrupulously fed in the capoeira for a
month prior to being killed. The fattening of the rooster is a ritual
in many places in Galicia, at least from the 15th century. However,
the roosters from Terra Cha, and more specifically from Vilalba,
are credited to be the best ones.
The empanada (a kind of pie) deserves separate mention. Anything
and everything may be found inside this pie. One of the empanada's
main features is its smooth, light pastry, especially in the coastal
areas. The compango is always saffrony with oil, pepper and plenty
of onion. To speak of fish and sea-food in Galicia may be a commonplace,
but it is worth a reference. There is a rich variety of fish, the
tastiest of them are those caught in the rias or close to the coast:
hake, turbot, sea-bass, grouper and sole. They are prepared in classical
styles: grilled, a la Gallega (Galician fashion) or caldeirada (a
sort of casserole), or else sophisticatedly dressed by expert cooks.
With regard to seafood, shrimp makes a delicious appetizer, as do
squid, cuttlefish, served fried or in their own ink, and crab. Barnacles
gather the quintessence of all the sea flavours. Others are eaten
raw, like the fine cockle and the oyster. Another group of seafood
which make delicious dishes include the spider crab and its three
flavours, sping lobster, lobster, king prawns, scallops and cockles,
in their uncountable variety of sauces, along with the nourishing
and accessible mussel. The final seafood worth mentioning, considered
humble because it is eaten every month of the year in every fair
in Galicia, is the octopus "á feira", i.e. cooked,
sliced, sprinkled with paprika and salt, and dressed with olive
oil.
Among the freshwater fish, trout, salmon, eels and young eels, shad,
reos and lampreys are extremely tasty. To finish up with this short
glimpse at the Galician cuisine, some products must be called to
mind: the rich fresh cheeses, the exquisite confectionery and the
filloas (a kind of pancake), the most original and delicious dessert
that can be tasted in our land.
"Nothing is cultivated in Galicia with so much care as wine",
says oenologist Xose Posada. Wine is produced throughout Galicia,
although especially in the southern half. A quick survey brings
our attention to the five main controlled appellations, Monterrei,
Rias Baixas, Ribeira. Sacra, Ribeiro and Valdeorras. But other wines
from every region can also be tasted. We must not forget that a
good meal may be digested with a cheering queimada (traditional
spirit, flavoured with coffee beans, and then flamed).
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