DAY 29 FOOD ON THE CAMINO

So there’s something I haven’t talked about yet on the Camino and that’s the food. Before coming on the Camino I researched Spanish food and tried out a few dishes with some success.

Garlic Soup

The first food we heard about on the Camino is garlic soup. Now to be honest my first impression was that I’d see a few garlic cloves floating in some broth. So I hunted for a recipe online and found one that was particularly good. Essentially it is the same form as French onion soup. The garlic and broth form a base, add in toasted day old bread, and then crack an egg and let it poach over the bread. Not to toot my own horn, but this was amazing. Garlic soup on the camino is a little bit different. The garlic and broth still make a base, but the egg is whisked into the broth like an egg drop soup. Bread is served on the side, usually not toasted, and you can dip it in the soup if you like.

Paella

This is paella and it’s wonderful. This guy works at the farmer’s market and every week has a huge skillet of this paella that he sells. Frequently in Spain you will see signs in front of restaurants advertising Paella Mixed, Chicken, Seafood, or Shrimp. This paella is pretty good. I had it twice on the Camino. Just don’t think that this is something the owner is cooking up fresh in the kitchen. These are commercial paella sold in individual servings that the kitchen heats up. It is good, but not as good as the picture above.

Fries

Fries come in all shapes and sizes. Ask for fries and you may or may not get something that looks like McDonald’s. And like all other fries it depends on how you like them cooked. I like my extra crispy which I didn’t always get. One thing I can guarantee is that these fries do not sit under a heat lamp. They are hot from the fryer.

Chili Rellenos stuffed with Cod

Finally you have to be willing to try something different. Chili Rellenos is not like the Chili Rellenos from your local Mexican restaurant. Spanish food is not terribly spicy. Having said that these Rellenos were among the best food I had on the Camino. Sweet red peppers stuffed with cod and smothered in a cheese sauce. Yes, I ate the whole thing.

The last thing I want to say about food on the Camino is this…frequently I just didn’t know what I wanted to eat after a long day of walking. I’m not even sure I was really hungry. Often what I craved is protein. I ate eggs every chance I got and I would be willing to bet that most of the eggs I ate were retrieved from under a chicken 🐓 a few hours earlier. Most of the time breakfast is coffee, juice, and toast. Those carbs burn off quickly and don’t really get you up any hills.

In no way did I cover all the food I had in Spain but I hope you’ll find some Spanish recipes to try out.

Bon Appetit and Buon Camino