LALÍN WILL HOST THE COCIDOS DO CAMIÑO GASTRONOMIC FESTIVAL ON 13 AND 14 MAY

The Gastronomic Festival Cocidos del Camino will offer a gourmet experience with top chefs and restaurants from Cantabria, Extremadura, Asturias and of course, Galicia.

José Crespo wanted to emphasize that Lalín intends to "champion the gastronomy of the Camino coupled with a dish as typical of Galicia as the Cocido". Lalín is not only the frame of celebration, the locality is the reason of being of a festival around the stew that joins a really singular proposal.

The soundtrack will be provided by a first class musical proposal bringing together artists from the aforementioned territories: Tanxugueiras, Baiuca, Club del Río, Maluks, Atmósfera 0 and a couple of djs.

Next May Lalín will once again be the scene of a very special meeting. The Gastronomic Festival Cocidos del Camino will celebrate a new edition on 13 and 14 May in the Campo de la Feria de Lalín with a very special proposal, enjoy the full experience around a dish as revered as the stew.

And is that the Camino de Santiago is currently the largest cultural network when it comes to promoting any uniqueness that is found somewhere along its route. The Gastronomic Festival Cocidos del Camino aims to converge in Galicia, specifically in Lalín, through a nexus as is the stew, the various localities that have this dish as a banner of its culinary tradition.

Lalín will act as a framework for the celebration due to its uniqueness, as it is not just another place on one of the many roads; Lalín is one of the first places where most of the roads coming from the south and southeast of the Peninsula converge. Historically, pilgrims from the Vía de la Plata, the Vía Augusta, the Southern Way, the different variants of the Mozarabic Way, the Camino de Levante, the Camino Portugués Interior, the Camino de Invierno and a long etcetera passed through Lalín.

It is a landmark on the roads, but also a meeting place for people, cultures and gastronomic sensibilities, products and trends? A place open to the world, a place of exchange between the Atlantic and the Mediterranean, a stone's throw from Compostela and in the heart of Galicia. And it is also the capital of Galician stew, as the Lalín Stew Fair has been classified as a Festival of International Tourist Interest; for all of the above, the Cocidos del Camino Gastronomic Festival finds in Lalín something that goes far beyond its venue; its raison d'être. This was highlighted this morning by the Mayor himself, José Crespo, in the presentation that took place this morning at the Vialia Shopping Centre in Vigo, where he stressed that "Lalín aims to lead with this action the gastronomy of the Roads to Santiago, which is tremendously rich and a first class incentive for the thousands of visitors who make the way and that in addition to spiritual shelter they can count on the offer that the road gives them a wide gastronomic offer with the Cocido as a reference". A presentation in which there was also space to savour a tapa made on the spot with cocido de Lalín by the chef Alberto Currás, from Casa Currás. A "churribóndiga", a meatball made with stew meat and battered like a fried croquette, accompanied by traditional turnip greens, potato foam, onion chorizo and Lalín bread.

Cocido is, without a doubt, a magical dish. It is centuries old, as it is one of the oldest dishes in Spain. Travelling around Spain enjoying the typical cocido of each region is, without a doubt, a first class gastronomic journey, which next May can be made from Lalín. Many regions have made it their own, adapting the dish to their own local products. That is why in these years Xacobeo, it is essential to walk hand in hand with this culinary product, so present in different territories of the Roads to Santiago, as it is an attraction of gastronomic interest also for many pilgrims.

"The Gastronomic Festival Cocidos del Camino proposes a format of immersive gastronomy. Attendees can enjoy various elaborations developed by chefs and restaurants from different parts of the national scene that have presence in the Camino de Santiago. They will cook simultaneously their different stews, which will be tasted by the attendees in a first class gourmet experience," said Carlos Montilla, director of I-Radia Crea, organizer of this event.

Thus, the Cocido Lebaniego will be prepared by Montse Prellezo from Restaurante Remoña, in Cantabria. Julián Hurtado from Restaurante El Chozo Extremeño, Badajoz, will present his best Cocido Extremeño, and Cristina Rey from La Gitana Gastro-Bar in Gijón will be at the cooker preparing the Pote Asturiano. Galician cocido will be represented, of course, by a chef from Lalin, Cecilia Sanmartín from Casa San Martín.

With the Gastronomic Festival Cocidos del Camino, Lalín connects its culinary gastronomy with other locations along the way. With the stew as a common link and main attraction for all attendees, but not the only one, as the festival will also feature a first class musical proposal bringing artists from the aforementioned territories. The stage will be integrated into the gastronomic experience, to complete it, in a unique and exclusive space that will be developed during the three days.

Those attending will be able to enjoy concerts by Maluks and Baiuca on Friday 13th, as well as a DJ session. On Saturday 14th, the event will be divided into two sessions; at midday, with a performance still to be confirmed, as well as a DJ, and in the afternoon session, the main musical highlight will be Atmósfera 0 and Club del Río and the performance of Tanxugueiras. The closing will also be provided by a DJ.