View of the Ribeira Sacra in winter
Voucher. Do you have a colleague from Galicia who has brought you an -unlabeled- bottle of coffee liqueur and you have asked him what it would be like to see his land. For that of the lush forests of oak and chestnut trees , the witches and spells by the fire of a queimada , clear nights with a glass of white wine and some grilled crabs. And live with that strange feeling of being able to eat and drink like there is no tomorrow, TRUE?
SEAFOOD FIRST, COOKED SECOND
The Galician seafood It is a seasonal product. You've been wanting to read this for a long time and you know it. That is so because seafood eats the months with "r" . In summer you look but you don't touch.
In squares and markets we have it well grown and at reasonable prices (some people buy it now and freeze it for Christmas because at that time the price skyrockets). Both on the coast and inland, a weekend getaway can't finish without some scallops washed down with white wine or some cockles and a well drafted beer . You have places where you can try seafood by the handful everywhere.
The scallops are not, they are not from this planet
In the Rias Baixas , in Arcadian , near Vigo , they eat the best oysters in Galicia . In Vigo , in the A Pedra market you can eat the same oysters but surrounded by tourists. There is so much demand that at least you will meet half a dozen seafood restaurants in which to try them.
In Santiago de Compostela , the obligatory stop is the Mercado de Abastos . Ideally, go early and lose yourself in one of the stalls that offer both stews and seafood. As recommendations: Seafood (booths 80 to 85) you can take the seafood bought in the same square and have it cooked for you there; and in Supplies 2.0 (booths 13 to 18) offer seafood and fish every day.
Supplies 2.0 in Santiago de Compostela
In the ** Rías Altas **, in Vilarube is Caneiro House _(Frádigas 1, Valdoviño) _, a small inn in the middle of nowhere that serves local seafood in a traditional way (grilled or cooked, some sauce and little else) and with spectacular results at a good price , with impressive views (being on one of the walls of the valley you can see the whole beach) ideal for an afternoon without much hurry.
They have a menu but it depends on the sea and who knows: get carried away by the recommendations of the day , there are usually cockles, mussels, scallops (small scallops) or barnacles for less than 12 euros a portion.
For the octopus fans , in Mugardos is he Pier 43 _(Avenida del Mar 43) _ which makes the specialty of the area, the octopus a la mugardesa , a modality to take into account because it has its fan club and is a serious rival of the polbo á fair of all life.
For lovers of the classic, indoors, in O Carballino , the town that serves it in its maximum splendor, the best reference is Gazpara house _(rúa Baixada a Flores 2) _, but others like the restaurant To Fuchela _(Avenida 25 de Julio) _ or the Carballino grocery store _(rúa de Ribadavia 4) _ they are well worth it.
In A Coruña there are two references that are door to door: To Cunqueiro tavern _(Rúa Estrela 22) _ and To Mundiña _(Star 10) _. both serve octopus with cachelos and they have a letter with seasonal seafood , in addition to a winery to take into account, like the Tavern O' Secret _(rúa Alameda 18) _ whose wine list is one of the best in the city and the atmosphere is very pleasant and welcoming.
Don't forget that there are those who innovate and do it on the grill -either grella -. A good address is in Santiago de Compostela, the restaurant Or Dezaseis _(rúa San Pedro 16) _ They serve it with a splash of olive oil and paprika.
Someone has been left with a question face when not seeing mentioned the spider crabs . And the why spider crabs and not spider crabs . And the reason why a good belly to crabs It involves cooking a male and a female to have meat and broth in perfect harmony. Well, we were going to tell you everything anyway, huh? Come on…
Mosaic of delicacies from O Dezaseis
COOKED AND FREIXÓS
The thing in the Gallic village with the dishes of slow cooking and hypercaloric it is an antediluvian relationship. We are one of those people who we go out with a jacket from home in case it gets cold -although we are in the middle of a desert at 40 degrees in the shade-, we look out the window to intuit whether to bring an umbrella and experts in buying boots and shoes.
That's why what at the table we go the march is well known . In winter they are typical stews, broths and desserts. The high point of this binomial in hardly imaginable industrial quantities is Lalin.
The stew, main dish and necessary in Galicia
The cocido festival is celebrated on the Sunday before carnival, but the season is open now . Whole pork meat cooked with vegetables and sausages, all cooked in a pot and in quantity. If there is still room for something, the following are sources of sweet pancakes –crêpes, but thinner- French toast, flan or whatever happens.
The five classics where to ensure a good stew are the restaurants Agarimo _( Montserrat avenue 2) _, and Cabins _(Laxeiro Painter 3) _, Curras House _(Church Square 2) _, the miller _(Rosalia de Castro 17) _ and The Palm trees _(Arenal 8) _.
The price varies and each one has its fan club, but we guarantee a good stew in any of them. They are all run by families of chefs and cooks who have been dedicated to this dish for decades.
Those of milk, for all; those of blood, for the brave.
But if, despite the subarctic temperatures, you are still not convinced, Lalín has alternatives to match.
The Still life in Cunca _(Colón 9) _ is the typical tavern with wooden benches and a cozy atmosphere. They have a daily menu with market cuisine dishes with local products, although you cannot leave without trying the omelette, which comes out spectacular.
If you want something more innovative, try Mrs. Maruja (Columbus 6) . The menu is small, the star dish is the hamburgers, but some dishes change depending on the season.
If you miss this bridge, the mushroom and dried tomato risotto and the tiger mussel croquettes can be a good option. We recommend taking a walk after eating. That here people do not eat, they are nourished.
The alternative (but authentic) cuisine of Lalín
TO WALK
The forests are to be lost. Galicia has one of the highest concentrations of forest habitats in the country, despite the fact that it bothers some easy-lighter souls. Double the national average according to the Natura Network: in every 100 square kilometers of Galicia has an average of 17.4 habitats , while in the rest of Spain 8.2 are concentrated in more than two million hectares (1 hectare equal to 1 soccer field more or less), not to mention that it is the community with the smallest area of forest protected by said network , according to the NGO World Wildlife Fund (WWF). Come on, the whole of Galicia is a lung. And there is where to choose.
In the north, in the High estuaries, Fragas de Eume take the prize. It has access for vehicles but it is best to walk it. Surrounded by oak, chestnut, willow and birch , on days when the sun rises (which are not usually abundant, we Galicians go to the light like squid) the shadows and the contrast of colors in the treetops will be Instagram motif.
Although if you put aside the mobile for an hour you will appreciate it. Reminds you sometimes of the woods on the moon of Endor (ask your geek buddy what Endor is and he'll be happy to explain it to you) .
Fragas do Rio Eume
In the south, in the Rias Baixas , highlights the impressive natural park Mount Aloia, in Tui , with trails and views to bore you. Very close to the top is the Great Cross viewpoint in which to stop and rest and let time pass. A good place to watch sunset.
Very close to there, in Ourense, also on the border with our Portuguese neighbors, we share the biosphere reserve of the Xurés or Peneda-Gerês park. It is a territory as spectacular as it is historical, full of ancient trees and wolves.
Here the border is so indelible that families from nearby towns they chose their nationality on the day they married. And two thousand years ago, the Vía Nova passed through, a Roman road that linked Astorga with the Portuguese city of Braga.
Xures Mountains
In the east, in Lugo and Asturian lands, there are You Ancares . With O Courel They are the largest natural space in the community and the only place where you can see brown bears. Here you will find towns, such as Piornedo or Suárbol, with pallozas (pre-Roman circular huts, like those of Asterix and Obelix) in which people still lived until a few decades ago. The views are spectacular.
Piornedo in Lugo. It could be your village.
And inside, a little secret. There is a group of fragas that group together hundreds of century-old chestnut trees a few kilometers from Lalín. It is known as Fraga of Catasós or Quiroga, in which there are enormous oaks and chestnut trees -some with more than 200 years- to embrace. How did the father of Master Saramago.