Cantabria - Cuisine

Cuisine

• Typical dishes: cocido montañés (Highlander stew) made with beans and collard greens, cocido lebaniego (Liébanan stew) made from chickpeas, marmita or sorropotún (similar to marmitako), and olla ferroviaria (Railway pot), as main courses.

• Meat dishes: Beef, ox, deer, roe deer or boar. Cooked to the grill, stewed or with vegetables.

The livestock farming reputation of the region and its climatologic conditions in favour for cattle breeding allowed the European Union to pass the "Meats of Cantabria" denomination as a Protected Geographic Denomination for the beef of certain kinds of native races (Tudanca, Monchina, Asturian of the valleys and Asturian of the mountain), and other adapted to the environment (Limusina) or integrated by assimilation (Brown alpine).

• Fish and seafood: Anchovies of Santoña, Colindres, Laredo and Castro Urdiales, angler, hake, Sea bass, sole, mackerel, sardine, European anchovies, bonito of the North (of Spain), gilt-head bream, sea bream, scorpionfish, red mullet, as well as some river fish as trout and salmon. Rabas (fried calamari) and cachón en su tinta (cuttlefish cooked in its own ink). Regarding seafood, it can be remarked: clam, mussel, muergos (jackknife), cockle, velvet crab, spider crab, goose barnacle, lobster, Norway lobster, periwinkle or European lobster.

• Desserts: Quesadas and sobaos of the Pas valley, frisuelos from Liébana (similar to crêpes), Unquera's corbatas (neckties) and Torrelavega's polkas (both basically puff pastry), sacristanes in Liérganes, Palucos de Cabezón de la Sal and pantortillas of Reinosa.

• Cheeses: Spicy cheese of Bejes-Tresviso, quesucos (little cheeses) of Liébana, cream cheese, etc. (many of them with PDO).

• Drinks: apple cider and orujo (liquor made from pomace) from Liébana, with its variations: (orujo cream, orujo with honey, herbal orujo, etc.); chacolí, and tostadillo of Potes.