El Galician Magosto: great plan for the weekend. Surely you have ever taken the chestnuts from the fire to someone. Well this time we suggest that, once you take them out, you eat them. No, no, not in the cone of the stalls in your city. If you want to enjoy good chestnuts, you must go to one of the most popular traditional festivals in Galicia. The Galician Magosto. It is not yet time for the post-summer depression. Dances, traditional music, family, friends, and the queen of the party: the chestnut. Keep reading!
History of the Galician Magosto
La Chestnut, along with the acorn, has been present in popular gastronomy since the Paleolithic. The soutos (chestnut forests) abound in the Galician community. Due to their historical trajectory, most are centenarians and there are even specimens that are around the a thousand years. Especially, they are found in the provinces of Ourense y Lugo. The reason is that at the end of eighteenth century the chestnut trees of Galicia suffered serious illnesses and the only ones that remained healthy were those who inhabited these two provinces. The rest of the crops were replaced by potatoes and corn, both from America.
The existence of soutos is accompanied by the festival of the chestnut harvesting. Already in times before cchristianism celebrations were held because of the collection of this precious fruit. The origin of the magosto is the Samain, a pagan festival of Celtic origin. They celebrated the end of the harvests and the arrival of a new annual cycle on the night of October 31 to November 1. When Christianity arrived in the Iberian Peninsula, this festival became the All Saints Day.
The festival of the Galician Magosto
The Galician magosto has been celebrated for thousands of years until today. It is a traditional festival deeply rooted in Galician culture. However, it is also celebrated in other places such as Cantabria, Salamanca, Canary Islands, Portugal ... It consists of roasting the chestnuts over the fire and then tasting them. The most typical thing, and that will not disappoint anyone, is to accompany them with wine (preferably red) and burned. The feast of the Galician magosto takes place in educational centers, towns and cities in Galicia. Some are of the multitudinous type and others in "petit committee". That is up to the consumer's taste.
Accompanied by traditional music such as the «dolls»Or«pandeiradas«, Popular dances, plays, popular gastronomy and the wines of the earth (wines like albariños, ribeiros, novo ...) feast of the magosto es unique. In fact, some of them have been declared Festivals of Tourist Interest in Galicia. For example, the festival of the town of Ourense «Festa da Castaña e do Cogumelo de Riós » It is one of the most unique gastronomic festivals in the Galician community.
A gastronomic feast
The meaning of Galician magosto delves deep into popular culture. Chestnuts symbolize the soul of the deceased and with each aired fruit of the festival a soul freed itself from purgatory and joined in the celebration. There is no exact date of the celebration, but it is between All Saints' Day and San Martiño (November 11). Gastronomically, the chestnut magosto is a exceptional party. Chestnuts unique quality, since we are talking about an autochthonous spice. In fact, Galicia is a great exporter of Galician chestnuts. Every year they export thousands of tons to more than 60 countries worldwide.
They also highlight their escorts. La queimada, a hot, mystical and traditional liquor how much less. In an earthenware container, hot water, sugar, coffee beans, lemon and orange peel set fire. The mixture is burned while praying the «conxure»And then it is quenched with liquid coffee. Don't worry about the brandy. You will not hear the phrase "what a chestnut you have!" High temperatures will cause the degrees of alcohol to drop considerably. It does not say anything more about Galician wines. Its exquisiteness has already taken care of its reputation.
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There are many cherries that make the feast of the Galician magosto A celebration unique and fun. And, at the same time, very appetizing. Who hasn't wanted to pack a suitcase? Because we do.
