A COMIDA GALEGA GALICIAN FOOD

School to School Project

FUNDACIÓN VICENTE FERRER

CPI Virxe da Cela. Monfero. Academic year 2010-2011

Our school context

Ours is a public comprehensive school, situated in Monfero council, Coruña province (Northwest of Spain). The surface of Monfero is of 171,7 km². Its population: 2978 inhabitants

Monfero usual food is very traditional, family oriented and

variated. Meat, vegetables, fish, shellfish, wine and cheeses are

involved in it , with the result of a very tasty That is its main appeal,

and the cooking is made in the old-times and familiar style.

Wonderful dishes are made just out of basic nature

products. Usually considered simple dishes and basic food, like all

types of broth, boiled mixtures and also fish and shellfish.

People around here are also said to be fond of big meals to

celebrate anything ; there are also many food festivals, most of

them held in summer; so all over Galicia you can enjoy the most

different food events.

Tipical food in our culture

Turnip tops broth Potato omelette Boiled pork meat with turnip tops

Tripes Empanada Grilled sardines

One of the most know items in Galician cooking is the use of shellfish, mainly in the seaside areas. Any sea food from here (the Atlantic Ocean is highly known for its freshness and good taste.

Fish are another important bit in the basic Galician cooking. There´s a big variety and also very fresh. Usually eaten caseroled, boiled (with a seasoning of fried garlic and papripa), fried or grilled.

One of the typical Galician dishes is the empanada: a pie

with different fillings, usually caseroled and with onions. The

pastry can be made of corn, wheat or other flour ; the filling may

be mainly or any type of meat (most frequently pig) and (tuna,

sardines, scallop, mussels, octopus,...

Potatoes are the basic feeding items in Galician cooking. It is mainly used as a companion to most of the dishes. Due to the specific weather conditions and the type of soil, Galician potato is of an exceptionally good quality – having a name all over the country.

Potatoes are involved in most of our dishes: boiled, roasted, baked, in the oven... And they go with all : meat, fish, vegetables, as a pure or grilled.

Beef meat used in the cooking is also of very good quality. Lamb and goat is also eaten, mainly roasted or caseroled. Among the poultray , apart from chicken and hen, can me mentioned the capones (castrated chicken that are specially feed). Pork meat is also a main star in our tables; everything can be cooked and eaten from it: leg, ham, gat, tripes, being involved even in the filloas ( in their salty version)

CARNES- MEAT

VERDURAS Y HORTALIZAS. VEGETABLES

There is a huge variety in the vegetables. Among them the grelo (turnip tops) is the outstanding one in the traditional dishes like the pig leg with turnip tops and the Galican broth.

Turnip tops Turnip tops broth

Pimientos- Peppers

Tomates- Tomatoes

Repollo- Cabbage

Judías-Judías- Green beansGreen beans

ZanahoriasZanahorias--CarrotsCarrots

Cebollas y ajos- Cebollas y ajos- Onions and garlicsOnions and garlics

The most usual fruit are pears, apples, figs, plumps, oranges and lemons

FRUTAS- FRUITS

Peras- Pears Manzanas-Apples Higos- Figs

Ciruelas- Plumps Naranjas y limones- Oranges and lemons

POSTRES- DESSERTCurd cheese on its own or with sugar.

Filloas, are a type of flat cake that can be eaten sweet or salted.The sweet ones are served as dessertand they have been cooked with milk;the salty ones have been cooked with the liquid of the Galician broth. Another special feature in the sweet ones is that they are usually served to be filled in with honey, whipped cream or chocolate.

FILLOAS- type of crepes (very similar to sweet chapati).

QUESO- CHEESE

Cheese is another very much appreciated food here. There is a huge variety, but we may mention the Saint Simon and the “tetilla” ones. (the last one gets its name from its “teat” shape.

We have usually three main meals a day: breakfast (usually

small), lunch (bigger) and dinner (light)

We Spaniards have usually lunch at midday between two

and three; we have also dinner and go to bed latter than most of

the other European countries and there is also a great variety in

the working scheduled timing that makes us different from them,

too.

COMIDAS.- COMIDAS.- MEALSMEALS

Desayuno- Breakfast

Family breakfast is usually a glass or cup of coffe , milk or chocolated milk with biscuits, litlle soft cakes or toasts.

Comida- Lunch

Typical lunch time is between 13:30 and 15:00 and it is the main meal. The menu consits on starters. main dish and dessert

Cena- DinnerCompared to most countries , dinner here is a very late meal

–between 21:00 and 23:00. Here there is more variety, some people have only something light, like some “tapas”, salad or a sandwich, whereas some other people still have a proper full meal.

The kitchen, called lareira in Galician language, has always been the most important room in the traditional house; it is here where the family have their life in common around the fire (“lar”); in times it was also a way of knowing the wealth of a family by the length or their kitchen and the cooker (usually made with stone and a big stone chimney too).

La cocina- The kitchen

In Galician society it is highly valuated to have lunch accompanied; it is usual to se several friends sharing a meal at the same table; the time involved in meals is also longer than in other countries, as it is a social activity more than a need in some cases.

Our society is ,as well, much fond of food festival to celebrate any event in life ; there are lots of food festivals which are held mainly in Spring, Summer or Autumn.

Meals are almost the main part in family ,social, political and seasonal celebrations, too.