Get Ready For A Gastronomic Adventure
We had a fabulous lunch at Restaurante Güeyu Mar, Playa de Vega (Ribadesella) back in September with our friend Gabriella of Tenedor Tours who drove over from San Sebastián-Donostia just for this feast.
Regional Dishes
Here are a few of the regional dishes you’ll find in Asturias
Seafood Dishes
Merluza encebollada is Hake served in an onion sauce, while Merluza a la sidra is Hake braised in cider.
Chopa is Black sea bream and Crema de nécoras is a crab bisque.
Pulpo con palatines is the traditional octopus with potatoes.
Oricios de mar are sea urchins and Percebes are goose barnacles.
Tiñosu is a Scorpion fish, while Pixín is the local name for monkfish, often rubbed with smoked paprika and fried.
Rollo de atún/bonito is tuna from the waters of the Bay of Biscay which has been shredded and mixed with ham and red pepper, then cooked in a carrot and onion sauce-delicious!
Bugre and Llubricante are two names for Asturian lobster, Andarica is a hard shell crab, and Ñocla is a giant crab.
Bean Dishes
Fabada is an Asturian obsession, an extremely hearty stew made with buttery white beans, bacon, chorizo and blood sausage, the “national dish”. Will stay with you all through the day and long into the night. Astonishingly, it is customarily served as a first course, which means that if you partake of a bowl (or two) of fabada plus a main course then dessert, you should NOT plan to be in proper condition to continue your touring, particularly by car, but instead, just give in to a siesta! Although it’s tempting to try this robust dish at every dining spot, it’s best left for a cold winter’s day. Legend has it that the dish added in the Christian Re-conquest here, as the invading Moors were fed a meal of fabada by the Christians and by late afternoon, their gargantuan feast rendered them so sluggish that they had to give up their battle.
Fabada con Pantrucu is a type of fabada in more of a soup form with black pudding, kale and potatoes.
Pote Asturiano is a type of fabada in more of a soup form with kale and potatoes, while Compango is the meaty components of the fabada (black pudding, ham hocks, chorizo).
Fabes con alemjas is a soup comprised of white beans and clams.
Meat Dishes
Cachopo is Traditional Asturian dish consisting of two large veal fillets, sandwiched together and filled with various options (cheese, mushrooms, asparagus, red pepper, a slice of ham), breaded and then fried and accompanied by French fries and red pepper-extremely hearty-a carnivore’s delight and also very kid-friendly. Every year there is a National Best Cachopo Competition. The winner in 2021 was the Hotel-Restaurante Rías de Lugo.
Carne gobernada is Braised beef. Fariñón, from the Gozón area, is a course blood sausage filled with corn.
Solomillo or entrecote al cabrales is a filet or sirloin topped with melted Cabrales cheese.
Chorizo a la sidra is spicy sausage prepared in cider.
Gochu Asturcelta is the Asturian Celtic Pig, an indigenous breed in danger of extinction, while the Gochu de Monte is a new breed from an Asturcelta mother and Duroc father, and 100% Asturian.
Rice Dishes
Pitu caleya (pollo de corral) con arroz, a cider-braised chicken paella, is another speciality of Casa Marcial and El Molín de Mingo,
Deserts
Frixuelos/Fayueles is an Asturian pancake, similar to a Breton crepe, either sprinkled with sugar or filled with cream.
Casadielles is a Walnut popover, walnuts being a staple in the Piloña region of the interior.
Carajitos are hazelnut cookies and Carbayonesare Almond boats, traditionally made in Oviedo; purchase them at the lovely Confitería Camino de Blas on Calle Jovellanos.
Letizias are a chocolate-marzipan confection named after the Queen; purchase them at pastry shops in Ribadesella.
Moscovitas are the almond cookies covered with chocolate; and can be purchase at Confitería Rialto, founded in 1926, on Calle San Francisco.
Arroz con leche is a simple rice pudding.
Travel Planning, Bespoke Travel
Exclusive Travel Planning Services by Iberian Traveler & Maribel’s Guides. Contact Maribel to arrange a custom itinerary for your next trip to Spain, Portugal, or France.
Travels With Maribel 