Eating Galicia: Sampling 5 of the region’s best dishes

Ask anyone who has been to Galicia what the best thing to do there is and the resounding answer will be ā€˜eatā€™. Situated on the north-west coast of Spain, seafood is the Galician speciality, but I have to admit the popular dishes here are not the type of seafood I was used to. As a reluctant crustacean consumer Galicia presented me with a few challenges that I was ultimately grateful to have undertaken. From barnacles to octopus, I sampled some of Galiciaā€™s best dishes this past weekend and it turns out I really like them.

  1. Percebes (Goose Barnacles)

Galiciaā€™s most well-known seafood speciality is possibly the strangest looking thingĀ Iā€™ve ever eaten. Percebes (or goose barnacles) are a Galician delicacy, relatively expensive to buy (approx 60 euros per kilo at the fish market) and even more so around holidays when they’re in high demand. To the uninitiated like myself, however, they look like something from the Jurassic age – I honestly wondered if I was being presented with a bag of dinosaur feet as opposed to a seafood speciality.

Percebes or Goose Barnacles look a little like something from the Jurassic age
Percebes or Goose Barnacles look a little like something from the Jurassic age

Pushing my reservations aside I cracked my first one open, using my nail to lift the ā€˜clawā€™ and removing the leathery dark skin to reveal the light pink meat inside. I popped it in my mouth and was pretty astounded to find I liked it. Cooked lightly in salted water, Percebes have a more palatable (at least to me) texture than other seafood like urchins and oysters. I was expecting to be hit with a strong fishy taste but the truth is they were pretty discreet. The only thing Iā€™m not sure about it how long it takes to eat a plate of them ā€“ I think need to work on my knack for cracking them open.

Percebes are best served with a glass of the region's fantastic Albarino wine
Percebes are best served with a glass of the region’s fantastic Albarino wine
  1. Pulpo A Feira (Galician-style Octopus)

Another Galician speciality that I challenged myself to sample was Pulpo A Feria, which literally translates to ‘fair style Octopus’. Galician-style octopus is lightly boiled (left too long it goes rubbery), drizzled with paprika and olive oil and served on a bed of boiled potatoes. The orange of the paprika and wooden platter the dish is traditionally served on make it one of the more attractive seafood dishes we sampled on this trip – as long as you don’t mind the look of the tentacles! Again this was something I was surprised to find I enjoyed – it was not at all rubbery like I was expecting but rather rich and oily. This is definitely a dish I’d order again in future.

Tapas time in Galicia must include a plate of Octopus
Tapas time in Galicia must include a plate of Octopus
  1. Complimentary ChurrosĀ 

Although not solely a Galician dish, I’ve included churros (a Spanish doughnut-style stick often served with a pot of melted chocolate to dunk them in) on this listĀ because I was overjoyed to discover they came free with the coffee at a cafĆ© we visited in Viveiro. Much like a small plate of tapas is often given out free in bars, itā€™s not unusual for Galician cafes to give out free churros with coffee orders as a way of winning customer loyalty. It sure made a good impression on me!

A table full of treats costs less than 7 Euro in Galicia
A table full of treats costs less than 7 Euro in Galicia
  1. Torta De Santiago

A Galician cake that has been around since the Middle Ages isĀ Torta de Santiago. The Torta is a rich, almond based pie that comes with or without a shortcrust pasty bottom. Traditionally the top was dusted with sugar in the shape of theĀ Cross of Saint James (orĀ cruz de Santiago), which is how the pie got its name. Most restaurants in Galicia will have a torta de Santiago for you to try, it’s best eaten on a not-so-full belly though as it can be quite heavy. As a sweet treats lover I was pleased to spot it on the breakfast buffet at our hotel in Ribadeo, it was a pretty good way to start the day in Galicia.

Torta de Santago - the must try almond cake in Galicia
Torta de Santago – the must try almond cake in Galicia
  1. Modern Galician cuisine at Michelin-starred Arbore de Veira

Although this last one is not technically a dish I couldn’t write a post about the cuisine in Galicia and not mention the incredible Michelin star dining experience we had inĀ A CoruƱa. At Arbore de Veira, Galician chefĀ Luis Veira serves up modern Galician cuisine; a fusion of Galicia’s best ingredients withĀ unexpected international influences.

An intimate and arty setting at Arbore da Veria in A Coruna
An intimate and arty setting at Arbore da Veria in A CoruƱa

The restaurant itself is a modern and intimate space, seating just 20 diners at a time and decorated with sculptures made from kitchen utensils. Uniquely the restaurant offers a relaxed seating area for each table, a group of 12 were enjoying wine on sofas surrounded by art before moving to the main table to begin their 8 course degustation.

Our group of 4 were seated behind a discreet curtain and over the space of 4 hours were wowed by dishes such as aĀ cherry bonbon stuffed with foie gras and the white chocolate filled golden ball, which was one of 3 delicious desserts.

Cherry bonbon stuffed with foie gras
Cherry bonbon stuffed with foie gras
The delicious filling of the cherry bon bon
The delicious filling of the cherry bon bon

Each creative concoction was immaculately presented on a different traditional piece of crockery that complimented the food perfectly.

The crockery complimented the food perfectly
The crockery complimented the food perfectly
White chocolate golden ball was one of 3 desserts
White chocolate golden ball was one of 3 desserts

But one of the most surprising elements of the evening was discovering that this incredible experience costs just 55 euros per person, making it the cheapest Michelin starred restaurantĀ in the country. I can only imagine what a dining experience like this would cost elsewhere.

Asian inspired sweets to finish
Asian inspired sweets to finish

Have you tried any of these Galician dishes? Would you like to?

This post was writtenĀ as partĀ of the #inGalicia blog trip, created and managed by CaptivateĀ in partnership with theĀ SpanishĀ tourism board. All thoughts, opinions and satisfied belly remain my own. Subscribe here for more updates on the serene villages, secret beaches and stylishĀ accommodationĀ in Galicia.

About the author

Iā€™m Jayne, a travel blogger, content creator and mum to a 4-year-old son. Iā€™ve been blogging since 2010, travelled to 65 countries and share travel guides and tips to help you plan stylish, stress-free trips.

15 thoughts on “Eating Galicia: Sampling 5 of the region’s best dishes”

    • Thank you! I love paella and gazpacho but it was so refreshing to try some regional dishes with a difference. Galicia was as stunning as you say and I’m looking forward to sharing more of the best bits xx

      Reply
  1. Yes, the dinosaur claws were certainly a leap in the dark! But I agree – I enjoyed them far more than I thought I would. If only I could have opened them a little quicker… I missed the almond cake. Next time!

    Reply
    • Great timing! It’s such an awesome experience, I would definitely recommend a visit if you’re in the area. The bread alone was sensational!

      Reply
  2. Those desserts and that foie gras cherry look amazing!! So do the dinosaur claws by the way – so cool. Did you see how they prepared the octopus? My brother swears that you need to add a wine cork while boiling it to make it tender. It works for him but I always wonder if that is a generally done thing…

    Reply
  3. I managed to squirt the dinosaur claws in my face most of the time… but actually… if you saw my plate afterwards… I ate loads of them! The were good!

    Great photos by the way!

    Reply

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