As the year comes to a close, we all look forward to the celebration of the clock striking 12 with hugs and kisses to all!
In Spain, the tradition of bringing in the New Year is all about family. The holiday cheers are not in a bar with strangers, but at home sitting around the dinner table enjoying a feast of a meal – seafood if possible – and the eating of grapes!
At 12 midnight, when the clock starts to ring out, one must eat a grape for each gong! That’s 12 grapes to bring in the New Year and ensure luck, prosperity, and good fortune! And believe me, they take this 100 year old custom seriously – while the more traditionalists just eat them straight off the vine, some pre-peel their grapes, while others are careful to remove the seeds. In the past decade, they even began to sell prepackaged cans of 12 grapes: free of seeds and already peeled! Just pop open the can, put on your party hat, and ring in the New Year!
So remember, when the clock starts to strike 12, save your kisses till the grapes are gone! Happy New Year to all!
The queimada is a traditional Galician ceremony that involves fire and alcohol. Many pilgrims along the Camino de Santiago are familiar with this Pagan ritual. The key ingredient is Oruxo, which is made with the grape skins left after they are pressed for wine. This grappa-like firewater is then mixed coffee beans and sugar and burnt (queimar). Often times people add orange or lemon peels or even apple for some flavour. The finished product after it is burnt is a thick, sweet liqueur and everyone raises their cup for a toast.
As you perform the Queimada, a conjuration is read in Gallego. Here is the translation:
Owls, crows, toads and witches
Devils, goblins and demons, spirits of the snow-clad valleys
Rooks, salamanders and enchantresses, spells of the healing women,
Through the hollow thatch, the home of worms and spiders
The light of the Holy Company, the evil eye and black spells,
The smell of dead things, thunder and lightning,
Dogs’ howling, the augury of death, the satyr’s sickle and the rabbit’s foot,
Sinning tongue of a bad woman married to an old man
Abode of Satan and Beelzebub, light from burning corpses, mutilated bodies
Of shameless people, farts from the arse of hell, groaning of the agitated sea.
Useless womb of the single woman, speech of cats that walk
In the January moon, long hair of the aborted goat.
With this fire I will raise the light of these flames that resemble the fires of hell
And the witches will run away on their broomsticks,
Plunging into sea water on beaches of coarse sand.
Hark! Hark! The screams of those that do not want to burn
In the firewater and be purified by it!
And when this beverage goes down our throats we will be free
Of the ills of our souls and of all witchcraft.
Forces of the air, earth, sea and fire, I make this call to you:
If it is true that you have more power than humankind,
Here and now, make the spirits of those who are not here
Participate in this Queimada.
Yesterday, we walked a bit along the Camino de Santiago in Castilla y Leon and we stopped in at the Church of Santa Maria. Unfortunately it was closed, but we had a great look at the main entrance and talked a bit about it:
Afterwards, we had some oven roasted “lechazo” – lamb – a typically delicious meal of the area!
Saludos from Spain!
Caldo Gallego is a hearty broth made with beans, potatoes and berzas, those long-stalked cabbages you see everywhere in Galicia. It is standard pilgrim fare on the Camino de Santiago and in all of Galicia.
Ingredients: an onion, a dab of lard (or olive oil, if you prefer), 500 grams of cabbage leaves cut into strips, chunks of salty back bacon, pre-soaked lima beans (better when fresh; the bigger the better), 3 or 4 medium-sized Galician potatoes.
1. Chop the onion fine and fry in the lard (or olive oil) until just turning golden.
2. Throw in the berzas and cook for five minutes over a low heat.
3. Add generous stock: 1 liter, at least.
4. Add lima beans and cook for an hour or until beans are soft.
5. Chop potatoes into smallish chunks and add with bacon. Add more water if necessary.
6. Cook for an extra 30 minutes.
If you can’t find berzas any dark green cabbage, such as winter greens will do. Berzas are tough and need a long time cooking. Some people say they are better if you cut them and freeze them first.
If you use canned beans and white cabbage, you can throw everything in together once you have fried the onion. I don’t add salt because the salty bacon gives enough flavor for my taste. In Spain you normally stick in a piece of bacon with the fat and skin attached – they love their pork!
Last, serve caldo gallego in warm bowls with thick-cut crusty rye bread. After a day out walking a bowl of this broth and a glass of red wine really warms you up!
Buen Camino and Buen Provecho!
For some more recipes and other food related things, please see:
Those in the New York Area, be sure to check out “Sunday at the Met—Celebrating the Cathedral of
Santiago de Compostela” November 14, 10:00 a.m.– 4:30 p.m
As the year comes to a close, we all look forward to the celebration of the clock striking 12 with hugs and kisses to all!
No Comments
