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Tarta de Santiago

Not just any old tart.

Tarta de Santiago, Galicia’s most famed dessert, was not long ago declared, in gastronomic terms, a protected species. The designation itself, known as an IGP which stands for Indicativo Geográfico Protegido, is basically a tool which affords this most Compostelan of desserts a means of protecting its image and reputation in the modern world. The…

Elegant Oviedo

Elegant Oviedo

UBI EDO, UBI EDO, repeated Ángeles, the guide assigned to me by the Oviedo Tourist Board. I repeated the words back to her, parrot fashion. It all began here in 761 she proudly declared. Fair enough, I thought; it must be the ancient rendering of the name Oviedo, a fairly close approximation of the modern…

Carnival Galicia Pontevedra

Carnival Caper In Pontevedra

The provincial capital of Pontevedra is very special indeed. Apart from boasting one of the most beautifully preserved mediaeval quarters in Galicia, its Carnival traditions are a law unto themselves. While most places end their festivities on the night before Ash Wednesday, with the cremation of a sardine, Pontevedra goes one better and holds its…

Gilthead Seabream

Of Breams, Dreams and Schemes

After a fishy conversation with Ruth of www.costadelsol-vacationrentals.com, I decided to take a look at the distinctly nondescript use of ‘Seabream’ in recipes translated from Spanish. There are many different sparidae or bream species available in plazas up and down the country, and in gastronomic terms, some are far more spectacular than others. Ask any…