Galician Percebes

Percebes grow on rock exposed to the heaviest surf, since they feed on what the waves bring, and the best come from the most violent stretches of the Costa da Morte. Gathering them, percebeiro work, means going onto those rocks at low tide with a scraper, timing the sets, and prising clusters off between waves; deaths occur most years and the licences are strictly limited and locally allocated. The result is a barnacle with a leathery stalk and a hoof-like plate, boiled briefly in salted water or seawater and eaten by pulling the stalk apart and taking the flesh out. Prices are high year-round and spike before Christmas, when they can exceed two hundred euros a kilo for the best.

What you actually see

• The gatherers - percebeiros working exposed rock between waves at low tide.
• The clusters - barnacles growing packed on surf-battered stone.
• The brief cooking - boiled in salted water and served hot in a heap.
• The Christmas prices - a spike to several hundred euros a kilo in December.

When to go

Year-round in restaurants and markets; December sees the highest prices and demand. The Costa da Morte towns, particularly Corme and Cedeira, hold percebe festivals in summer.

Honest expectations

They are expensive and sold by weight, so a portion adds up quickly. Much of the weight is inedible shell and stalk. Cheaper percebes are often imported from Morocco or Canada and are noticeably inferior.

Nearby

The Costa da Morte villages of Corme, Camarinas and Cedeira are the main gathering areas.