Cantabrian cuisine

The cocido montañés, the most representative dish of Cantabrian cuisine.

Cantabrian cuisine is the cuisine from Cantabria, Spain. Thanks to the geographical location of this region, this cuisine comprises a select list of ingredients: fish and seafood from the sea; salmon and trout from the upper basins of the rivers; vegetables, legumes and cow milk from the valleys; or veal and game from the mountains.

Fish and seafood

The rabas are the snack most commonly consumed by the Cantabrians.

Quesada Pasiega.

Seafood is widely used, from the entire coast and the Bay of Santander in particular, including clams, mussels, pod razors, cockles, crabs, barnacles, crayfish, snails, lobster, and squid. Fish include sea bass, hake, scorpion fish, anchovies, sardines, and tuna.

The tuna or bonito is used in one of the most typical dishes of the region: sorropotún or marmita.

Some of the most renowned Cantabrian dishes are hake in green sauce, squid with onions and squid ink maganos encebollaos, and clam casserole.

Meats

Veal is widely used, often from the Tudanca cattle. The National Cattle Fair of Torrelavega, the largest cattle fair in Spain, is held in Cantabria.

Game is also of high quality: deer, roe deer and wild boar. Pork is a key element for the cocido montañés, literally mountain stew, with beans, cabbage and other ingredients.

Pastry

Cantabrian pastries include the traditional sobaos and Quesada Pasiega. Puff pastry is widely used, with different names in different regions: Corbatas in Unquera and San Vicente de la Barquera, Polkas in Torrelavega, or Sacristanes in Liérganes.

Other notables sweetmeats are frisuelos and the canónigo, both of Liébana, corazones in Liérganes and La Cavada, the palucos of Cabezón de la Sal, and the tortos and pantortillas of Reinosa.

Other desserts not of Cantabrian origin are rice pudding, natillas and leche frita, and fruit jams.

Dairy products include Cantabrian cream cheese, Picón Bejes-Tresviso in Tresviso and Bejes, smoked cheeses such as Áliva or Pido, and the Quesucos de Liébana, made with a mixture of cow's and sheep milk.

Alcoholic beverages

Orujo is the Cantabrian pomace brandy.

Historically cider and chacoli wine ^[1][2] were a speciality; after a major decline they are recovering.

Cantabria has two wines with Denominación de Origen Calificada (Protected Geographical Status): Vino de la Tierra Costa de Cantabria and Vino de la Tierra de Liébana.

References