Wines and Liqueurs
The wines and liqueurs of Galicia must of course be mentioned.
WINES are produced in almost any part of Galicia, but are found mainly in the south. There are five Denominaciones de Origen or quality guarantee labels:
- Rías Baixas : Salnés area (south of Pontevedra)
- Ribeiro : northeast Ourense
- Valdeorras: northeast Ourense
- Ribeira Sacra: Ourense
- Monterrey: Verín area (south Ourense)
Both our white and red wines of a very high quality are an excellent accompaniment to the dishes of the local cuisine.
LIQUEURS: the best known Galician liqueur is aguardiente (burning water) and there are several different drinks. There is white aguardiente, herbal aguardiente (hierbas), coffee liqueur or orujo cream. The best and most traditional way to drink it of all is the queimada. This punch-like drink is not only good for digestion; it is surrounded by tradition and magic.
To make a queimada you should use a clay pot. Pour in white aguardiente and add sugar, coffee beans and the rind of a lemon or other fruit to taste. The liquid is flamed and while it burns, stir it slowly with a ladle until all the sugar is burned. While stirring the queimada it is important to recite the following spell to ward off the bad spirits (conxuro da queimada). It goes like this:
Mouchos, coruxas, sapos e bruxas.
(Owls, toads and witches.)
Demos, trasnos e dianhos, espritos das nevoadas veigas.
(Damaging demons and devils, spirits of snow-covered valleys.)
Corvos, pintigas e meigas, feitizos das mencinheiras.
(Crows, salamanders and meigas, Spells of the witch doctors.)
Pobres canhotas furadas, fogar dos vermes e alimanhas.
(Rotten pierced cane sticks, that are home to worms and vermin.)
Lume das Santas Companhas, mal de ollo, negros meigallos, cheiro dos mortos, tronos e raios.
(Fire of the lost souls, bad spells, black witchcraft, stench of the dead, thunder and lightning.)
Oubeo do can, pregon da morte, foucinho do satiro e pe do coello.
(Howl of the dog, messenger of death, nose of the satyr and foot of rabbit.)
Pecadora lingua da mala muller casada cun home vello.
(Sinful tongue of a bad woman married to an old man.)
Averno de Satan e Belcebu, lume dos cadavres ardentes, corpos mutilados dos indecentes, peidos dos infernales cus, muxido da mar embravescida.
(Inferno of Satan and Beelzebub, fire of ardent, corpses mutilated bodies of the indecent ones, farts from infernal anuses, roaring of an enraged sea.)
Barriga inutil da muller solteira, falar dos gatos que andan a xaneira, guedella porra da cabra mal parida.
(Fruitless belly of the unmarried woman meow of cats in heat lously locks of the goat badly borne.)
Con este fol levantarei as chamas deste lume que asemella ao do inferno, e fuxiran as bruxas acabalo das sas escobas, indose bañar na praia das areas gordas.
(With this ladle I raise the flames of this fire, like those of Hell, the witches will flee, straddling their brooms, to bathe at the beach of wide sands.)
¡Oide, oide! Os ruxidos que dan as que non poden deixar de queimarse no agoardente, quedando asi purificadas.
(Hear ye! Hear ye! The roars of those that cannot but burn in this aguardiente, will thus be purified.)
E cando este brebaxe baixe polas nosas gorxas, quedaremos libres dos males da nosa ialma e de todo embruxamento.
(And as this potion goes down our necks we will become free of the evil of our soul and of any bewitchment.)
Forzas do ar, terra, mar e lume, a vos fago esta chamada: si e verdade que tendes mais poder que a humana xente, eiqui e agora, facede cos espritos dos amigos que estan fora, participen con nos desta queimada.
(Forces of air, earth, sea and fire, I call on you! If it is true that you have more power than human people, here and now make the spirits of the friends who are away, take part with us in this Queimada.)