O Carballiño is a locality in the province of Ourense, Galicia, and famous for its gourmet delights. This week the ‘pulpeiros’ (octopus cooks) have been busy preparing the world’s biggest octopus tapa. With the pulpo tradition going back to the 17th century, eating in Carballiño is an authentic pleasure.
The most popular way of eating this typical Galician dish is the known as ‘pulpo a feira’, boiled in traditional copper pans and cut up into bite-sized pieces and seasoned with olive oil and paprika. Carballiño’s octopus festival has received the title of Festival of Touristic Interest, and holds the Guinness World Record at 280 kilos for the largest octopus tapa. If you’re lucky enough to visit, try octopus in an empanada or in the style of a feira, a Galician recipe with with paprika and cachelos (boiled potatoes).