Galicia is the Land of Seafood

When I found out that I was placed in Galicia for the school year, I didn’t really know much about it except that it is in the corner of the country and far from the big cities. After doing some research and hearing from people that have been before, I quickly found out that it is very well known for having amazing seafood. I love food, and seafood is no exception…well everything except salmon (I know that is weird since I’m from the Northwest). I was excited to know that I’d be eating very well here in Galicia.

This past week/weekend we had vacation from school because of the Constitution Day in Spain and also the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, so I had 6 days off! I have a friend, Dani, from Madrid, and he decided to make a trip to Galicia, since he didn’t have to work these days either. He brought a friend, Elisabeth, and the three of us made seafood our mission for the trip.

I will usually try everything once, and I’m very glad that I did on this trip. There were many things that looked a bit scary, but ended up being delicious. I had tried Pulpo before and knew I would like this dish. Pulpo á feira is octopus, and it is prepared cut up in pieces after being boiled, then drizzled with olive oil and paprika.

NOTE: All the photos below can be clicked on to see a larger version

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I have also eaten mussels before, but they were prepared with sauces, etc. The mussels we ate, called Mejillones al vapor, were simply steamed, and I dipped them in a bit of lemon juice. I feel like food in the states always has to be “done up” with sauces and extras causing the natural flavors to get lost. In Galicia, a lot of the seafood is prepared al vapor which means steamed.

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The students mentioned Berberechos, so I was hoping to get the chance to try them. Success! They are prepared al vapor as well. These little gems were delicious. They are in tiny scalloped shells, and their name is translated to “cockles.”

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Based on the look of this next one, I was pretty scared to try it. To my surprise, Navajas a la plancha ended up being my favorite of the trip. My friends said that navajas mean knives, but that didn’t help me. I had to look up their name because I had no idea what they were. The translation is “grilled razor clams.” I didn’t really care what they were, they were delicious, and I’m going to attempt to cook them on my own one of these days.

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The final shellfish we had were regular clams, Almejas. These were done a bit fancier than the others, with a light sauce and herbs. And of course accompanied with all our meals was the famous wine of the region, made from a variety of white wine grapes called Albariño.

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We also made it into Portugal during the trip as well. The south of Galicia and the border of Portugal are similar to Washington and Oregon, where the border is created by a river. So why wouldn’t we cross the border to enjoy lunch and eat the deliciously prepared Bacalao, codfish. We ordered two dishes with Bacalao, one simply grilled in olive oil, and the other with a light breading in a light sauce with potatoes and onions. It was definitely worth the trip, and now I can check off another country on my list of places visited!

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The food throughout this trip was all amazing. I feel very lucky to be living in such a rich area of seafood. And this is what my plate looked like at the end of every meal!

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