GASTRONOMY

The agricultural and livestock activities are the main culprits of the rich Palencia cuisine based on quality products. Excellent raw materials with which to prepare typical dishes of the Castilian plateau.

In the menus of the restaurants of the province there is no lack of spoon dishes. Vegetables, legumes and vegetables are combined to put on the table dishes such as menestra Palentina or potatoes to the importance. Meats are another great gastronomic bet, with the lamb as the great protagonist and with recipes as the “caldereta del pastor”, while customs such as the slaughter allow that in the pantries of the Palencia not lack good food.

Fish arrives from the northern ports and seasonal products such as mushrooms, crabs and snails are present on the menus when it is time. The cheeses deserve a special mention, with a traditional production, and the sweets, which come from the hand of artisan confectioners who have inherited and preserved centuries-old recipes.

A good example of all this variety can be found in Villalcázar de Sirga, where the treatment and quality gastronomy are a sign of identity of its inns.

Pilgrims and tourists visiting Villalcázar de Sirga will find an excellent excuse to extend their stay in this town: its gastronomy. After walking several kilometres or visiting the town’s heritage, there is nothing better than sitting at a good table to enjoy the local products.

The fame of its inns has contributed to making this town a must for anyone who is in the vicinity. In the Plaza Mayor, next to the church of Santa María la Blanca, in an old granary, is the Mesón de Villasirga, an establishment that opened its doors in 1965. As soon as you approach it, you will realise that you are not in front of just any inn.

Next to the door is a statue in honour of the founder of this inn, Pablo Payo, Mesonero Mayor del Camino de Santiago, who, dressed as a pilgrim, welcomes visitors. On entering the interior, the diner will have the feeling that he has travelled back in time to medieval times. The decoration is set in the Camino de Santiago and the food, homemade and traditional, is served in the manner of our ancestors. The medieval dinners it organises have meant that thousands of diners have travelled to Villasirga to enjoy the food without any qualms: using their hands as cutlery and with a loaf of bread as a plate.

Pablo Payo took care to maintain the essence of the Jacobean tradition and to offer hikers and visitors an unforgettable memory in the form of gastronomy. His menu includes steaming Castilian or Albada soups, black pudding, loin, sheep’s cheese or lamb chops, but his specialty, and what has made Mesón de Villasirga so famous, is roast lamb, not to mention Santiago cake for dessert.

Very close to this place there is another inn that we could describe as a brother of the previous one: the Templars’. On one side of the Plaza Mayor is this restaurant with the same type of cuisine. Its menu includes hors d’oeuvres, loin of pot, Castilian soup and, of course, roast lamb, all served with excellent wines and coffee.

Los más golosos tendrán que hacer otra parada más antes de abanThose with the biggest appetites will have to make one more stop before leaving Villálcazar, at the La Perla Alcazareña confectionery. Founded in 1870, the fourth generation of the family runs a business that began with chocolate and has been expanding its offerings throughout its history. At its counter you can find typical products all year round, such as amarguillos, pastries, sponge cake and almonds and in seasons they add others such as buñuelos, hojuelas, roscón de reyes or marzas.donar Villálcazar, en la Confitería La Perla Alcazareña. Fundada en 1870 la cuarta generación de la familia está al frente de un negocio que se inició con el chocolate y que a lo largo de su trayectoria ha ido ampliando su oferta. En su mostrador se pueden encontrar productos típicos durante todo el año, como los amarguillos, las pastas, la tarta de bizcocho y los almendrados y en temporadas añaden otros como los buñuelos, las hojuelas, el roscón de reyes o las marzas.