Food & Tradition

The Queimada centers on fire: an Orujo is set alight with sugar, lemon peel, and coffee beans in a clay bowl, and the flames burn while someone recites the Conxuro. The text calls upon owls, toads, and witches and is said, by tradition, to drive away evil spirits. Since the 1960s, it's often performed in the dark.

Just how old the Queimada really is remains uncertain. The often-told connection to the Celts, who knew fire as a form of purification, was rejected by prehistorian Carlos Alonso del Real in 1972, since distilling only arrived in the Middle Ages. The Conxuro recited today is widely considered a mid-20th-century creation. So the ritual is younger than its reputation suggests — but it's genuine tradition all the same.

The table brings the coast with it: Pulpo á feira, octopus with olive oil and paprika served on a wooden plate, Empanada gallega, Caldo gallego with cabbage and beans, or Lacón con grelos. Afterward, a small glass of Orujo or herbal spirit often follows. The clear brandy cuts through fat and salt, closing out the meal with freshness.

Things turn sweet with Tarta de Santiago, an almond cake dusted with the Cross of Saint James. Here, the coffee liqueur, Licor Café, suits better than the dry brandy.

In Asturias, the table revolves around apple wine. Fabada asturiana, the bean stew with sausage, and bold cheeses like Cabrales are paired with sidra, poured from a height in a method called escanciar. Aguardiente de sidra comes at the end, a clear farewell from the apples.