FIVE WAYS TO EAT OCTOPUS IN VIGO

Say “Galicia” and you are already dreaming of tasting fish, seafood, empanada pie, pork and turnip tops, albariño wine, coffee liquor and, of course, octopus – pulpo. Octopus is a classic part of Galician cuisine. The best known recipe is called pulpo á feira but that's not the only one, as you'll be able to find out next time you escape to Vigo:

PULPO Á FEIRA: Pulpo par excellence: served on a wooden platter, seasoned with salt, oil and paprika. The recipe is simple, but nobody quite gets the flavour you find at a fiesta, fair or Galician tapas bar. The secret is surely in the quantities that simmer together.

PULPO A LA BRASA: For a few years now, the bars and restaurants in Galicia have successfully included a new way of preparing octopus: on the hotplate or chargrill, cut into fine slices after having been boiled.

CALDEIRADA DE PULPO:  In the Rías Baixas area octopus is eaten in what is called a caldeirada, a typical way of preparing fish throughout Galicia. Potatoes seasoned with an ajada - a fry up of oil, garlic, onion and paprika – are added to the boiled octopus.

PULPO CÍES STYLE: On the Cies Islands you can try octopus in a different way - “Island Style”, a traditional recipe that the families who used to live on the islands have passed down from generation to generation. It is prepared in a similar way to a caldeirada but red and green peppers are used instead of garlic.

EMPANADA DE PULPO: Octopus is also present in the traditional Galician flat pie or empanada. The “zaragallada” is a fried filling of onion and red and green peppers that the octopus is sautéd in before being placed in the pastry so that it becomes impregnated with the flavour.

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