Infographics: What Does Galicia Taste Like?

Galicia is a good example of culinary diversity that any visitor to Spain will find. The region's delicacies include extraordinary foods from the garden, the fields, from livestock, from the sea... Across its almost 30,000 square kilometers we savor its excellent fresh and canned products, cheeses, premium meats, fresh internationally-renowned fish, white and red wines, traditional sweets, cold cuts and a multitude of local recipes.

Let's break it down. Galicia is synonymous with cheese, mainly made with milk from cows, the region's primary type of livestock. Several of these cheeses have a Protected Designation of Origin quality seal, such as Tetilla, Arzúa-Ulloa, San Simón and Cebreiro. The first two are smooth and delicate, the third is unique in that it's a smoked cheese, and the fourth has very tasty acidic notes.

Many Galician fruits and vegetables stand out, but its peppers should be mentioned in particular and five of them have quality seals: PGI Pimiento de Herbón (better known as Padrón peppers), PDO Pimiento de Oimbra, PGI Pimiento de O Couto, PGI Pimiento de Arnoia and PGI Pimiento de Mougán. One of the vegetables most closely linked to Galician terroir are turnip tops, which are sold fresh and also canned, and the local potato also boasts a PGI seal.

The flavor of the sea is closely intertwined with literature, culture, the way of life in this region and its gastronomy. Galicia's fish and seafood are famous around the globe, as is its innovative canning industry, which sells premium made-in-Galicia products worldwide. Its standard-bearer? Mussels.

Galician veal has its own PGI seal, just like other products like chestnuts, honey, and a native type of bean known as the faba de Lourenzá.

White wines from the region have been winning over international markets for decades, thanks to native varieties like Albariño, Godello, Loureiro and Treixadura as well as wines from Rías Baixas, Valdeorras, Ribeiro and Monterrei. Galicia is also home to fresh, attractive Atlantic-style wines made with varieties like Mencía, Sousón, Caíño Tinto, Brancellao, Merenzao, Loureira Tinta and Espadeiro.

Text: Rodrigo García Fernández /@ICEX

Translation: Adrienne Smith /@ICEX