Galician food is traditional, family-oriented cuisine that uses fresh, local ingredients. Common dishes include empanadas (filled pies), seafood like sardines and shellfish, potatoes served with meat and fish, and greens like turnip tops. Meals are important social events in Galicia, where people traditionally spend more time eating together than in other parts of Europe. The kitchen is the heart of the home, and food festivals celebrating the local bounty are beloved community traditions.

1. LA COMIDA- GALICIAN FOOD School to School Project FUNDACIÓN VICENTE FERRER CPI Virxe da Cela. Monfero. Academic year 2010-2011

2. Our school context Ours is a public comprehensive school, situated in Monfero council, Coruña province (Northwest of Spain). The surface of Monfero is of 171,7 km². Its population: 2978 inhabitants

3. Monfero usual food is very traditional, family oriented and variated. Meat, vegetables, fish, shellfish, wine and cheeses are involved in it , with the result of a very tasty That is its main appeal, and the cooking is made in the old-times and familiar style. Wonderful dishes are made just out of basic nature products. Usually considered simple dishes and basic food, like all types of broth, boiled mixtures and also fish and shellfish. People around here are also said to be fond of big meals to celebrate anything ; there are also many food festivals, most of them held in summer; so all over Galicia you can enjoy the most different food events.

4. Tipical food in our culture Turnip tops broth Potato omelette Boiled pork meat with turnip tops Tripes Empanada Grilled sardines

5. One of the most know items in Galician cooking is the use of shellfish, mainly in the seaside areas. Any sea food from here (the Atlantic Ocean is highly known for its freshness and good taste .

6. Fish are another important bit in the basic Galician cooking. There´s a big variety and also very fresh. Usually eaten caseroled, boiled (with a seasoning of fried garlic and papripa), fried or grilled .

7. One of the typical Galician dishes is the empanada : a pie with different fillings, usually caseroled and with onions. The pastry can be made of corn, wheat or other flour ; the filling may be mainly or any type of meat (most frequently pig) and (tuna, sardines, scallop, mussels, octopus,...

8. Potatoes are the basic feeding items in Galician cooking. It is mainly used as a companion to most of the dishes. Due to the specific weather conditions and the type of soil, Galician potato is of an exceptionally good quality – having a name all over the country. Potatoes are involved in most of our dishes: boiled, roasted, baked, in the oven... And they go with all : meat, fish, vegetables, as a pure or grilled.

9. Beef meat used in the cooking is also of very good quality. Lamb and goat is also eaten, mainly roasted or caseroled. Among the poultray , apart from chicken and hen, can me mentioned the capones (castrated chicken that are specially feed). Pork meat is also a main star in our tables; everything can be cooked and eaten from it: leg, ham, gat, tripes, being involved even in the filloas ( in their salty version) CARNES - MEAT

10. VERDURAS Y HORTALIZAS. VEGETABLES There is a huge variety in the vegetables. Among them the grelo (turnip tops) is the outstanding one in the traditional dishes like the pig leg with turnip tops and the Galican broth. Turnip tops Turnip tops broth

11. Pimientos- Peppers

12. Tomates - Tomatoes

13. Repollo - Cabbage

14. Judías- Green beans

15. Zanahorias - Carrots

16. Cebollas y ajos- Onions and garlics

17. The most usual fruit are pears, apples, figs, plumps, oranges and lemons FRUTAS - FRUITS Peras - Pears Manzanas- Apples Higos - Figs Ciruelas - Plumps Naranjas y limones- Oranges and lemons

18. POSTRES - DESSERT Curd cheese on its own or with sugar.

19. Filloas , are a type of flat cake that can be eaten sweet or salted.The sweet ones are served as dessertand they have been cooked with milk;the salty ones have been cooked with the liquid of the Galician broth . Another special feature in the sweet ones is that they are usually served to be filled in with honey, whipped cream or chocolate. FILLOAS - type of crepes (very similar to sweet chapati).

20. QUESO - CHEESE Cheese is another very much appreciated food here. There is a huge variety, but we may mention the Saint Simon and the “ tetilla ” ones. (the last one gets its name from its “teat” shape.

21. COMIDAS.- MEALS We have usually three main meals a day: breakfast (usually small), lunch (bigger) and dinner (light) We Spaniards have usually lunch at midday between two and three; we have also dinner and go to bed latter than most of the other European countries and there is also a great variety in the working scheduled timing that makes us different from them, too.

22. Desayuno - Breakfast Family breakfast is usually a glass or cup of coffe , milk or chocolated milk with biscuits, litlle soft cakes or toasts.

23. Comida - Lunch Typical lunch time is between 13:30 and 15:00 and it is the main meal. The menu consits on starters. main dish and dessert

24. Cena - Dinner Compared to most countries , dinner here is a very late meal –between 21:00 and 23:00. Here there is more variety, some people have only something light, like some “tapas”, salad or a sandwich, whereas some other people still have a proper full meal.

25. The kitchen, called lareira in Galician language, has always been the most important room in the traditional house; it is here where the family have their life in common around the fire (“ lar”); in times it was also a way of knowing the wealth of a family by the length or their kitchen and the cooker (usually made with stone and a big stone chimney too) . La cocina- The kitchen

26. In Galician society it is highly valuated to have lunch accompanied; it is usual to se several friends sharing a meal at the same table; the time involved in meals is also longer than in other countries, as it is a social activity more than a need in some cases .

27. Our society is ,as well, much fond of food festival to celebrate any event in life ; there are lots of food festivals which are held mainly in Spring, Summer or Autumn. Meals are almost the main part in family ,social, political and seasonal celebrations, too.