Galician cuisine has typical dishes that have become very popular beyond the community’s territory, such as octopus á feira, and others more valued in the local environment, such as lacón con grelos or chorizo con cachelos. There are products originating in the region that have also become very popular, such as Padrón peppers, and typical pastries, such as Santiago cake or filloas.
Getting to know about the gastronomy and the origin of the dishes is a way to get know and understand the Galician culture, so it may be interesting to read books such as Cocina gallega, by the poet and writer Álvaro Cunqueiro (1911-1981), written in 1973 and merged in later editions with the recipe book by Araceli Filgueira Iglesias, which reviews the history of Galician cuisine from the 18th to the 20th century.
The researcher Macarena Cuiñas Gómez, from the University of Vigo, has explored other culinary mentions in the works of Galician writers, such as Emilia Pardo Bazán, Julio Camba and Jorge-Víctor Sueiro; an undoubtedly interesting way to discover both Galician gastronomy and literature. And as a last inexcusable reference, Picadillo, the nickname of the writer Manuel María Puga y Parga (1874-1918), whose manual La cocina práctica, was one of the most popular recipe books used in Spain in the 20th century.
And what better way to discover the basis of gastronomy than to visit the Santiago de Compostela Food Market, the second most visited place in the city after the cathedral, or Lugo Food Market in Lugo.