Galician Oddities
Dorothy, you’re not in Kansas anymore. (Hope that was already clear!!!)
Adventurers and culinary connoisseurs will love the novel dishes in Santiago. But beware that some delicacies are not for the faint of heart. However, it's a very entertaining and even hilarious experience for Americans. Some of these novelties include dried pig limbs hanging around, live sea creatures playing in restaurant windows and even huge dried pig heads and the new texture of octopus. (Bet you never thought you’d ever be munching on Ursula's tentacles, now did you?)
Restaurant windows:
Mom said don’t play with your food, but what if your food is already playing? Restaurants often show off their raw dinner options in their front windows. There you may catch a glimpse of squirming shells, live crabs given their last rites.
Little crabbies still kicking
Coffee:
Strong little cup of caffeine. Comes with 1-2 bags of sugar. Hold the hazelnut syrup, crushed ice, cinnamon powder and whatever else you used to order at Starbucks. Take in the potency of the drink.
Entire pig head dried:
Not an uncommon phenomenon to witness an entire dried pig head in the supermarkets of Santiago!
How do you pick it up...?
Pig guts:
“Tripas” are piggy insides used in a variety of dishes.
Octopus:
“Pulpo” may be one of the more challenging Galician seafood options but you’ve got to take at least one bite! Not sure who first decided to eat Ursula the sea-witch (Disney’s The Little Mermaid reference) but I don’t mind! Pulpo can challenge visitors because of its distinct texture and presentation on a little circular wooden plate, doused in oil and seasoned with paprika. An acquired taste, so start acquiring it!
Pulpo is a huge part of the Santiago culture and there is even a yearly competition to see who can make the best pulpo.
Octopus + beer = Santiago party
Orejas:
Do you know that “orejas” means “ears” in Spanish? Let’s clarify what else this means in Spain. Did you know this can refer to a dish of literal pig ears OR pastry orejas? Yes, p-i-g e-a-r-s.
The pastry version “orejas” have a hint of anise, shaped like an ear and seasoned with sugar and are popular during Carnival season and are made in the shape of a pig ear with anise seed and deep-fried.
Centollo:
Crab water and guts served in a crab shell-- a delicacy.
Barnacles:
Did you think you’d ever eat barnacles? Well, now you’ve got the chance of a lifetime. These are super expensive claw-like guys "percebes" are a delicacy! Local fIshers actually risk their lives picking these gooseneck barnacles in the Coast of Death “Costa da Morte.” More info on how dangerous this is.
Highly valued and expensive, barnacles resemble claws or dinosaur fossils.
Ham legs:
A little gnarly at first. You may bump your head with a ham leg at a bar, observe a hanging leg above you in a restaurant, see them for sale at the market and check them out in locals’ kitchens. Ham legs are a part of life. P.S. It’s this same ham that we pay big bucks for once sliced and imported.
Tapas:
What the heck is a “tapa”? When you order a drink, you will normally receive a little free snack or appetizer that come in many shapes and flavors. What a bargain. The name “tapa” means “cover” and allegedly taverns covered wine with a slice of bread and salty chorizo that activated thirst to sell more drinks.
Modern tapas have evolved and can be cold— like olives, potato chips, salpicón, ensaladilla, croquettes, popcorn—or hot like Spanish tortilla (check out the best tortillas), empanadas and caldo.
Window shopping: tapas, pinchos and goodies right under your nose!
Queimada:
A queimada is a special tongue-in-cheek drink and ritual event whose preparation aims to distance bad spirits waiting to curse us common folk. This gastronomic, traditional symbol consists of a punch of a concoction of orujo, herbs or coffee, sugar, lemon peel, coffee beans, cinnamon mixed in a hollow pumpkin or clay pot and then set on fire with friends. Check out a snippet of a potential spell here:
"Forces of the air, land, sea and fire!
We invoke you all:
If it is true that you have more power
Than humans,
Purify the evil of our Earth
And bring here and now
The spirits of absent friends
To share with us in this queimada!"