As is the case in many parts of Galicia, one of the main attractions Mugardos offers to its visitors is gastronomy, which takes its roots in an age-old culture, based on the quality of its products. These are treated with respect, using very balanced recipes, which maintain the natural taste. If there is one thing outstanding in Mugardos’ cuisine, that is the quality, variety and wealth of the sea produce.
Gastronomy is one of the main charms for tourists passing through. The region’s fishing fleet, devoted to the fishing of sardine for salting or the catching of octopus since time immemorial, maintains this tradition and continues to provide a large variety of fishes, crustaceans and molluscs, which constitutes the pole of attraction for people from inside and outside this region throughout the year.
The catching of seafood by the sea is made mainly by women in these lands, and in conveniently protected areas, with a bed of sand and lime having the best conditions for its cultivation, such as the A Redonda and A Barca inlets, among others.
Seafood is one of those essential pleasures one has to experiment when in Mugardos. The waters of the estuary are the perfect breeding ground for the cultivation of many species, although one of them is the indisputable queen: the clam, with the “ameixa da ría” (estuary clam) designation of origin. It is very valued and its taste is delicious, either the “fine” or the “slug” varieties. Cockle also has a characteristic flavour.
This generous, amazingly fertile estuary produces precious treasures we can taste in many recipes: cauldron, fisherman’s, Galician, roast, in its own ink, grilled, steamed… Any recipe will bring to our mouth a piece of the sea at its peak and greatness.
But the absolute star in Mugardos’ gastronomy is the octopus. It is the traditional activity of people from Mugardos, as the saying goes: “people from A Graña are riband builders; those from A Redonda quarrymen; people from Cervás are farm labourers and those from Mugardos, octopus fishermen”. Catching mollusc has been an obsession for decades, since it was the most demanded in the inland fairs, together with that from O Grove, in Arousa Island.
Mugardos is also well-known at Galician and international level for having invented a typical dish, octopus in the Mugardos way (“polbo á mugardesa”). Its preparation is very simple: the octopus is tenderised, water must be boiled with salt (it’s better if we use salt water), and when it reaches boiling point, the mollusc must be “frightened” by introducing it three times into the pot, holding it by its head, in order for it to be more tender. When the water starts boiling again, we must estimate a cooking time of 45 minutes. Oil, onion and sweet paprika must be fried in a pan. Then we add the octopus slices, accompanied with “cachelos” (unpeeled potatoes).