Gastronomy
The sea as a pillar of Ribadesella's cuisine
Although Ribadesella's gastronomy rests firmly on two pillars—the sea and the land—seafood cuisine is undoubtedly the most passionate. The sea has historically been the town's main source of food, which has given rise, over the centuries, to a very particular way of preparing and cooking Cantabrian products.
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Seafood stews and traditional recipes
Traditional ways of cooking fish have never been lost. Among them are the stews, made with rockfish such as sea bream, red mullet, goby, wrasse, or sardines; the bonito or mackerel stews with potatoes and peppers; and noodles with sea bream or pomfret, a typical sailor's dish.
These dishes originated aboard fishing boats, where it was necessary to combine all the elements of a meal into a single stew. They are joined by other local specialties such as conger eel with peas, monkfish in sauce, hake in cider, and bonito roll, an exquisite specialty from Ribadesella.
Baked fish and seasonal products
Fresh baked fish are also very characteristic of the town, among which the xáragu, the hook-caught sea bass or even the humble chicharru (jack mackerel) stand out, which prepared in this way is especially tasty.
The star of summer is bonito, which can be enjoyed in a thousand different ways, followed by sardines and anchovies, staples in every bar in the municipality. In winter, sea urchins are a must; once a humble food, they are now elevated to gastronomic status, as are the limpets from the rocky shores.
Seafood from the Cantabrian Sea: freshness and excellence
In the seafood cuisine of Ribadesella, one cannot forget the barnacles from the cliffs, which continue to reach the tables thanks to the courage of the barnacle harvesters, nor the elvers, of which the Sella estuary is a prestigious supplier worldwide.
Seafood is also very popular, as the traps of local fishermen supply the nurseries of restaurants and seafood shops with spider crabs, lobsters, European lobsters and velvet crabs, always with unsurpassed freshness.
The cuisine of the land: tradition and strength
The quality and originality of the seafood cuisine should not overshadow the seriousness of Ribadesella's land-based cuisine. Its star dish is, naturally, fabada, both in its classic version and in the highly prized local variant of beans with clams.
The vegetable garden provides products of great gastronomic value such as arbeyos (peas), fabones (May beans) and corn, essential for fried tortos and borona, a traditional basis of peasant food for centuries.
Meats, sausages and traditional flavors
The meat selection is remarkable, thanks to the excellent Asturian beef, traditional sausages, and free-range chickens with their distinctive flavor. Special mention should be made of the smoked Asturian black pudding, essential in fabada (Asturian bean stew), and the pantrucos or emberzáos, a local sausage related to black pudding and one of the lesser-known gems of Ribadesella's cuisine.
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Desserts and cheeses to finish the meal
Any meal in Ribadesella should end with a traditional dessert such as fried milk or scalloped rice pudding, although cheese is always an excellent alternative.
Takeaway products: cheeses, sweets and preserves
Among the ideal Asturian products to take away, not forgetting the artisanal preserves made in Ribadesella, the region's impressive cheese selection stands out, led by Gamonéu and Cabrales. These cheeses are perfectly complemented by local sweets such as Galletas de la Abuela (Grandma's Cookies), suspiros (meringues), casadielles (sweet pastries), Piragües del Sella (Sella River Canoes), and Letizias (a type of pastry).
Liqueurs and spirits: the grand finale
Any discussion of Ribadesella's gastronomy must include the liqueurs and spirits of Los Serranos, produced in Collera by a century-old family business. Among their internationally renowned products are the barrel-aged cider brandy and the cherry liqueur, the company's flagship product for decades, along with their excellent apple, pomace brandy, herbal, and hazelnut liqueurs, all handcrafted with authentic, slowly macerated fruit.