The Camino de Santiago is an opportunity to stop and reflect, find yourself and disconnect from the hectic modern life. A moment to come to yourself, into your interior, but also to enjoy an exterior that surrounds your senses with intense feelings. Eyesight, sense of touch, and above all, taste have their place in this pilgrimage.
That is why, every year, the Camino de Santiago attracts many gastronomic pilgrims , who take the most of this trip to enjoy the typical plates in every region they walk by.
The north region of Spain is internationally known because of its plates and wines. Remain with us, and you will know what to eat at the Way of St. James, the most typical plates, and its origins.
The French Way, a perfect gastronomic way to eat at the Way of St. James
Among all the possible ways to walk this trip, the French Way is the one that offers the best gastronomic offer. Its routes pass by almost all the north regions of Spain, so you can taste a wide gastronomic offer.
Aragon
In starting by this region, you probably taste firstly the “cordero a la pastora” (Lamb stew with potatoes). Its origins are in the rural areas of the region, and because of that it has a related name to shepherds, in Spanish.
It is cooked in clay dishes, with few condiments, because milk is constantly added, inthe cooking process, to obtain more juice.
In the process also you should add salt, aromatic herbs, pepper, thyme and oil should be added. It will make you want to lick your fingers!
La Rioja (Tudela)
If your feet conduct you to this region, you cannot miss the famous “alcachofas con almejas” (artichoke with clams). It is a very popular dish, cook in many places, and also you can find cheaper versions, as the artichoke with jam.
Its history dates to the Middle Ages, and it was related to the Lent Fridays, and the prescription to fast from meat.
Still in La Rioja, you can also enjoy the “Patatas a la Riojana” (potatoes with Chorizo), a dish based on potatoes, chorizo, onion, garlic, paprika and some bay leaf. Experts say that the trick to obtain good Patatas a la riojana is on mashing a little the potato, for them to throw the starch and bind the sauce with it.
In this region, a delicious kitchen has also the complement of the best wines in Spain. They have a great guarantee of origin and quality: the Rioja one, which includes the La Rioja region, and a small part of Navarra.
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Navarra (Estella)
If you continue walking a little bit more, you will arrive to one of the richest regions, in terms of gastronomy: Navarra.
Here you can taste “Ajoarriero de Bacalao” (Cod au ajoarriero), probably created thanks to the mule drivers.
The ingredients used in this plates are: salting cod, garlic, peppers, tomatoes and potatoes. Also it can contained a particular variety of peppers called “pimientos choriceros” (Spanish sun dried red peppers), dried peppers, called ¨ñoras¨ and chili.
Galicia
We cannot finish this brief gastronomic tour without the “Vieria gratinada” (scallop au gratin). As you probably know, the scallop shell is the symbol of the Camino de Santiago, and you can check in the Way its omnipresence.
That is why, for many pilgrims, it is already a tradition to eat a scallop in arriving to Santiago de Compostela, almost as important as the hug to the Saint James sculpture in the Cathedral.
There are many ways to cook this plate, but all of them have in common the key ingredients in the stuffing and, of course, the need to obtain the gratin in the oven.
Did you have already the opportunity to eat in the Camino de Santiago? Which plates would you suggest to our readers? We are waiting for your comments in the blog, and in the social sites. We are in Facebook, Twitter, Instagram y Pinterest.
