Foods to try on the Camino de Santiago Pilgrimage

Foods to try on the Camino de Santiago 

• Tarta de Santiago—The St. James cake is a dessert on nearly every menu along the Camino.  It’s made with ground almonds, eggs, and sugar.  The cross of St. James is placed on top of the cake, with powdered sugar dusted over it.  The Tarta de Santiago is the quintessential Camino dessert; you should try it at least once.
• Caldo Gallego – This Galician soup contains turnip greens, potatoes, white beans, ham, and chorizo.  It makes a great lunch with bread. 
• Pulpo a la gallega or pollo á feira, Galician-style octopus, is a simple yet delicious dish.  The octopus is boiled and then chopped with olive oil, salt, and paprika.  It is traditionally served on wooden plates with bread and often enjoyed with young Galician red wine.
• Pimientos de Padrón—Padrón peppers are a must-have in Galicia, where Padrón is located. These small green peppers are fried until blisters form and then sprinkled with coarse salt.  They make a delicious small plate that pairs perfectly with beer.
• Tortilla de patata—The Spanish omelet is a traditional dish made with potatoes and eggs.  Some tortillas also include onion.
• Jamón Ibérico — Iberian ham is renowned worldwide, with many considering it the finest.  It’s thinly sliced, smooth, and slightly nutty, deriving its flavor from the acorns consumed by Iberian pigs.
• Arzua Cheese – try in Arzua!

And to drink?

The most popular drinks in Spain are beer and wine.  Also common are cider, vermouth, and sangria.  Beer is often served in a caña (20 cl glass) but can also be a doble (double the quantity), quinto, or botellín (20 cl bottle), or jarra (half liter).  Lager is the most popular beer.  The most well-known wine is Rioja, but try other varieties, such as the famous white wine from Galicia, Albariño.