Products and preparations of our gastronomy
In Cantabria, we can find many and very diverse typical products, whose preparation has been passed down to us just as it was done hundreds of years ago. Some of these products have the Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) distinction.
Very Cantabrian Cheeses
We can find three cheeses with Denomination of Origin (D.O.): Queso de Cantabria, Quesucos de Liébana, and Queso Picón Bejes-Tresviso.
Orujo Liqueur
The Orujo liqueur with the Geographical Denomination Orujo de Liébana is another Cantabrian product that enjoys great recognition both within and outside of Cantabria.
Excellence in Meats and Sausages
The meats and sausages of Cantabria are protected under the Protected Geographical Indication (IGP) distinction; they come from cattle born, raised, and slaughtered in Cantabria, including high mountain breeds such as Tudanca, Monchina and Pardo-Alpina, fed on natural pastures, which gives the meat an extraordinary flavor. Other meats such as pork, whose slaughter (matacía), a traditional festive ritual celebrated in most towns of Cantabria, yields excellent sausages, especially in the Liébana region, which, due to its microclimate and altitude, favors the drying of the slaughter by-products.
Great Canning Tradition
Canned fish has become one of the major industries in the region in the last century. Laredo, Santoña and Castro Urdiales are towns where semi-preserved anchovies are mainly produced, accounting for 80% of national production among the three towns. Their quality makes them the best anchovies in the world. Other canned goods made in Cantabria, such as bonito (tuna), tuna, sardines and other minor varieties, are also highly renowned.
And of course, dessert for those with a sweet tooth
Likewise, Cantabria is a region with a great pastry tradition. The excellent quality of milk and its derivatives has been the basis of Cantabrian artisan pastry for centuries, with such exquisite sweets as “Quesada pasiega” (Pasiego cheesecake) o or the universal “Sobao pasiego” (Pasiego butter cake).
Puff pastry is also one of the stars of the region’s pastry, and depending on the area where it is made, it receives different names; thus, in Unquera and San Vicente de la Barquera, they are called “corbatas”, in Torrelavega “polkas”, “sacristanes” in Liérganes or “pantortillas” in Reinosa.
Other delicious sweets include frisuelos (crepes) and canónigo lebaniego(a Liébana cake), “palucos” from Cabezón de la Sal, and “corazones” from Liérganes and La Cavada. Rice pudding, fried milk, and custard are also very traditional.
A Traditional Gastronomy
The gastronomy of Cantabria, in general terms, is a cuisine that avoids complex or overly sophisticated preparations. With a traditional character, it always seeks simplicity and naturalness, with the primary goal of obtaining the natural juices of the ingredients.
Seafood, fish, meats, and other local products are cooked in different ways, but always seeking the purest flavors of each ingredient.
