What to Eat on The Camino

As you make your way along The Camino you will be struck by the variety of the gastronomy on offer. Not just as you travel through the different regions of Spain but even down to the towns and villages you pass through. Here is a taster of a few things to expect and look out for if you are doing the final stretch of The Camino.

The Spaniards are not big on breakfast. At least not first thing in the morning. They prefer to have a coffee to kick start the day and then a few hours later go for a mid-morning snack. On The Camino you will get breakfast (desayuno) which in many places you may see described as a ‘reinforced breakfast’. You won´t necessarily get a big slap-up cooked breakfast but it will be enough to get you going (bread, cheese, ham, pastries, fruit, yogurt, juice etc). If that´s a bit scarce, ask for eggs (huevos) scrambled (reveultos), fried (fritos), soft boiled (pasado por agua), hard boiled (duro). When it comes to lunch, the Pilgrim´s Menu is excellent value for money. You can expect a 3-course meal with drinks for about €15. This may be a bit too much if you´re mid-Camino as a lie down afterwards might be what you´re body is craving. You´ll find filled baguettes (bocadillos) are always on offer or a bit of Spanish potato omelette (pincho de tortilla) or pasty (empanada) are always a good option. After a good day walking or cycling The Camino dinner could be that Menu del Peregrino.  If you´re vegetarian or vegan it´s a tad challenging in Spain but if you´re insistent and persistent restaurants are very accommodating.

In my view, nowhere on earth can serve up a simple salad of lettuce, tomato and onion dressed in olive oil and vinegar and make it taste like heaven like Galicia!  If they are in season, you can expect the vegetables to have been quite literally plucked fresh from their own vegetable patch (huerta). Mop this up with some local bread – soft and dense on the inside and with a good crust on the outside. How something so simple can taste so good is purely down to fresh local ingredients.

Pimientos de Padron are tiny green peppers which traditionally came with a bit of a kick in some of them! These days that´s less likely to be the case. You could be very purist and try them in their hometown of Padron if your Camino passes through it. Otherwise don´t worry you´ll see them on the menu everywhere. Fried in olive oil and a sprinkling of salt flakes is how they´re served. A handy snack to pick up is an empanada gallega. Think pasty filled with fish, seafood or meat, peppers, onions and tomatoes. Caldo gallego is the local tasty, hearty stew of beans, greens and a bit of bacon which will definitely fill the gap. Pulpo Gallego is really worth trying. Octopus is similar in taste and texture to calamaries. This dish is prepared with olive oil, potatoes, sea salt flakes and smoked paprika pepper. If you´re near the coast try the Xoubas (sardines).

Don´t leave Santiago without trying their local cake Tarta de Santiago. Better still, try it at every establishment on your Camino and decide which takes the prize. Packed with ground almonds, eggs and sugar, lemon rind and a dash of local herb liqueur (Orujo) you don´t need a huge slice. You´ll even see it on offer at the buffet breakfast. Its shelf life is also long enough to take home and it travels well too. In my opinion, the jury is out on Bica. This is the local typical homemade sponge cake (bizcocho) originating from the area of Ourense. A bit hit and miss, sometimes great sometimes a bit too on the dense side to pass as a ´sponge´ I´d say. Dunked in coffee softens it up nicely though and this is often how you´ll see it eaten. But try it anyway at least once to tick the box.

If you are doing the Camino Frances and pass through Melide (after Palas de Rey and before Arzua) then try Melindres. For a small town Melide really does punch above its weight when it comes to its baking reputation. Dulces Almendrados, Melindres and Ricos all come from this small town. Their artisan baking tradition using simple, locally sourced ingredients are all they need. You will only find Ricos for example in Melide. They have a long shelf-life so you can pick some up on your travels to take home. They contain 6 ingredients – flour, lard, sugar, eggs, lemon and anise. The recipes appear in theory to be simple – mastering them is another story. It goes without saying that how they are made is a well-guarded local secret passed down through the generations. There are 4 regional cheeses to look out for. Tetilla is the most well-known thanks to its easily recognisable conical shape. A similarly shaped local cheese but with a smoky flavour is San Simón da Costa. Arzua-Ulloa is a round cheese with a creamy texture and slightly acidic taste. Finally, there is Cebreiro, also creamy. You will pass through O Cebreiro if you are cycling the final stage of the French Way but don´t worry if you´re not passing that way as you will find this cheese all over the region. The coastal climate of Galicia gives for crisp white wines. Albariño being probably the most well-known. It is aromatic and slightly acidic. Also look out for Godello, Treixadura and Loureiro. A small amount of red is also produced – look out of Mencia from the Ria Sacra region and Caiño Tinto. For beer drinkers Estrella Galicia is a great craft beer from A Coruña. The Rivera family set up the brewery in 1906 after returning as economic migrants from Mexico and Cuba. It remains a family run brewery to this day. Simple fresh cooking with locally sourced ingredients is where the Gallegos really excel. So, if you´re not sure what to go for just ask for the dish of the day or fish of the day and whatever vegetables are in season. But of course you will also never go wrong with that simple ensalada.