2023-08-04 09:21:48
We know very well why hundreds of thousands make the journey to Santiago de Compostela every year. But pious rituals of salvation or spiritual contemplation while wandering are not our thing. That’s why we don’t march to the cathedral or to the zero point of the Way of St. James, but make a pilgrimage right next door to the Mercado de Abastos. Santiago’s central market is made up of six elongated galleries under tunnel vaults, and its culinary centerpiece are the two Naves de Pescado y Marisco – a fabulous seafood wonderland. We count thirty, forty, fifty types of fish on the counters of the dealers, and the range of mussels, crabs and crustaceans is really sensational.
Mussels and oysters abound, along with a dazzling parade of marine creatures from the waters off Galicia: Calamares, Pulpos, Centollas, Percebes, Vieiras, Zamburiños, Camarones, Carabineros, Langostinos, Gambas finas, Gambones, Longueirones, Navajas, Nécoras, Cigalas and Berberechos. We spare ourselves the translations, especially since some seafood has different names in Santiago than in A Coruña or Vigo. Instead, we buy a small selection and sit down in one of the bars under the roof of the market hall, where the waitress serves lemon, bread and wine. Particularly friendly waiters then even clear away the empty bowls that were not bought from them.
#Wine #seafood #Galicias #culinary #treasures