Cocido Maragato (EN)
In Castrillo de los Polvazares, one of the most authentic villages in León, the cocido maragato is a unique culinary experience that breaks all the rules: here, the order of the dishes is reversed and tradition reigns supreme.
This typical stew from the Maragata region is distinguished by a unique feature: it is eaten in reverse, starting with the meat and finishing with the soup.
Tradition dictates an order that surprises visitors but makes perfect sense to those who have inherited it generation after generation. First the meats, then the chickpeas with vegetables, and finally the soup.
It is served in three courses (in reverse order):
First , the meats: chorizo, beef shank, bacon, chicken and other cuts of meat. Second , the chickpeas accompanied by cabbage or kale. Third , the soup made from the concentrated stock produced during cooking.
There are several explanations for this reverse order, ranging from the ancient customs of the Maragato muleteers to the need to ensure that the most substantial food was eaten first during times of hard labour.
Main ingredients:
Chickpeas, cabbage or kale, chorizo, morcillo, bacon, chicken, bones and other parts of the compango.
Traditional preparation:
All the ingredients are cooked slowly for hours, allowing the flavours to blend into an intense stock. Each component is served separately following the traditional Maragato order.
You can try this dish at:
In Castrillo de los Polvazares, where the cobbled streets seem frozen in time, the Maragato stew becomes a complete experience: it is not just eaten, it is understood.
A stew that begins at the end and ends up winning you over.
Eating Maragato stew in Castrillo is to discover that tradition can also surprise.