Pulperia Ezequiel, Melide

[Bradypus]

Pulperia Ezequiel, Melide

Warning: this one is not for the squeamish! An article about the secret of the success of the famous pulperia in Melide - a long time legend of the Camino Frances. Apparently amongst other things the key to excellent pulpo involves having a non-Galician proprietor, iron-rich water and a cement mixer...

https://www.ileon.com/actualidad/provincia/100438/el-mejor-pulpo-del-camino-esta-en-manos-de-un-lacianiego

 

[Annette london]

Pulperia Ezequiel, Melide

Warning: this one is not for the squeamish! An article about the secret of the success of the famous pulperia in Melide - a long time legend of the Camino Frances. Apparently amongst other things the key to excellent pulpo involves having a non-Galician proprietor, iron-rich water and a cement mixer...

https://www.ileon.com/actualidad/provincia/100438/el-mejor-pulpo-del-camino-esta-en-manos-de-un-lacianiego

On our first Camino, when we reached Melide,"himself" made a beeline for this Pulperia as we'd heard so much about Pulpo.
Place was packed with plates piled high with the stuff.
I took one look at it........and ordered a Pork chop!!
Must have been the only one in a long time earing pork chop in a Pulperia!

 

[Bradypus]

Must have been the only one in a long time earing pork chop in a Pulperia!

Not at all! My favourite pulperia is a little one on the main road through Padron. Been there a couple of times and for their menu del dia they offer pulpo AND churrasco. Last time I had pulpo for starter and churrasco for the main course. Best of both worlds

 

[KinkyOne]

In 2011 me and my Catalan companion ordered two plates of pulpo first in Ezequiel and because it was sooo good we ordered like 5 plates of other sea-food. All were just great and yummy. So after 3 bottles of tinto and all that food we ordered another two plates of pulpo to call it a day. I don't remember that I even turned around in my bed that night (private room, snoring allowed!)

 

[Bala]

Interesting article.

When I lived in Philadelphia, there was a popular Greek restaurant in the arts district. We had a friend from Crete who said that was the only place in the region where the octopus was worth eating. So one time he asked them their secret. Simple. They ran it through a commercial-size clothes drier.

Don't try that at home, kids.

 

[KinkyOne]

Interesting article.

When I lived in Philadelphia, there was a popular Greek restaurant in the arts district. We had a friend from Crete who said that was the only place in the region where the octopus was worth eating. So one time he asked them their secret. Simple. They ran it through a commercial-size clothes drier.

Don't try that at home, kids.

There would be no effect if you put JUST a couple of them in the washing machine or dryer but I always freeze them for a few days and then give them some massage before preparing . Poor creatures don't feel it at all ...
But I usually do pulpo salad which is served cold more or less as an appetizer/first course.

 

[Pelegrin]

Pereiro is a Galician family name.
Being from Villablino (Leon) maybe he is the son or grandson of a Galician miner.
Anyway, Ezequiel's pulpo is very good. I agree.

 

[Pelegrin]

In 2011 me and my Catalan companion ordered two plates of pulpo first in Ezequiel and because it was sooo good we ordered like 5 plates of other sea-food. All were just great and yummy. So after 3 bottles of tinto and all that food we ordered another two plates of pulpo to call it a day. I don't remember that I even turned around in my bed that night (private room, snoring allowed!)

Wuauuu. And your passion for pulpo I think is because Slovenia is a Mediterranean country because I don´t see the Slavic people very keen on pulpo either

 

[Camino Chrissy]

In 2011 me and my Catalan companion ordered two plates of pulpo first in Ezequiel and because it was sooo good we ordered like 5 plates of other sea-food. All were just great and yummy. So after 3 bottles of tinto and all that food we ordered another two plates of pulpo to call it a day. I don't remember that I even turned around in my bed that night (private room, snoring allowed!)

Three bottles of tinto...you need to line up a camino with @Davey Boyd! You boys could have a lot of fun! Oops, this is a pulpo thread.

 

[Camino Chrissy]

Pulperia Ezequiel, Melide

Warning: this one is not for the squeamish! An article about the secret of the success of the famous pulperia in Melide - a long time legend of the Camino Frances. Apparently amongst other things the key to excellent pulpo involves having a non-Galician proprietor, iron-rich water and a cement mixer...

https://www.ileon.com/actualidad/provincia/100438/el-mejor-pulpo-del-camino-esta-en-manos-de-un-lacianiego

I like pulpo, but after seeing that photo I will forever have it ingrained in my memory. Now I know why it can sometimes be extra chewy...mixed in with cement.

 

[Jeff Crawley]

Not at all! My favourite pulperia is a little one on the main road through Padron. Been there a couple of times and for their menu del dia they offer pulpo AND churrasco. Last time I had pulpo for starter and churrasco for the main course. Best of both worlds

A kind of "surf and pig sty"

 

[Jeff Crawley]

Pulperia Ezequiel, Melide

Warning: this one is not for the squeamish! An article about the secret of the success of the famous pulperia in Melide - a long time legend of the Camino Frances. Apparently amongst other things the key to excellent pulpo involves having a non-Galician proprietor, iron-rich water and a cement mixer...

https://www.ileon.com/actualidad/provincia/100438/el-mejor-pulpo-del-camino-esta-en-manos-de-un-lacianiego

Fast service too. After sitting waiting to be served, along with 8 or so other pilgrims, for over 40 minutes in the A Fábrica do Camiño (up by the roundabout) we gave up, left some money on the table for our drinks and went off for pulpo.
I swear we were actually eating our food within 10 minutes.

 

[KinkyOne]

Wuauuu. And your passion for pulpo I think is because Slovenia is a Mediterranean country because I don´t see the Slavic people very keen on pulpo either

You got it. Strong connections to the sea. But overall we have quite a lot of influences in our cuisine and Mediterranean is one of the strongest at least in my family. We can't live a week without some kind of sea food

 

[Via2010]

To me the "Pulperia A Garnacha" at Melide seems better than Ezequiel. Ezequiel is very popular with pilgrims, but the local, even the local police got to "A Garnacha". "O Candal" at A Fonsagrada (Camino Primitivo) is even better.

I also enjoyed excellent pulpo on the Via de la Plata/Camino Sanabres at "Parillada Don Alonso" at Alto de Sto. Domingo (5 km after Castro-Dozon) and in Pontevedra, at the Restaurant "A casa de pedra". That one is about 200 m before you reach the public albergue. Do not mistake it with the medieval tavern "A mesa de pedra" at Pontecesures, which is a very special but also very dirty place.

 

[Jeff Crawley]

Pulpería A Nosa Terra, Av. Compostela, 25, 27200 Palas de Rey, is worth a try too.

 

[Isca-camigo]

I love going to Ezequiel not because it's the best Pulpo, it is quite good though, I like the shear theatre of the place and the camararderie that can get full expression on its long tables and admidst the bustle and sometimes raucous atmosphere. I have been lucky to have seen a full gaita band playing there once, they were Galician pilgrims on their way to Santiago, you ended up with the far end of Ezequiel being a music and dance area. Another time one of our group who was from Cordoba did a full flamenco dance in sheer joy at having just walked the Primitivo, probably helped by a few cuncas of Ribeiro. I have been to the other place down the Road, it's ok and can see why locals go, probably because of all the examples of why I enjoy Ezequiel would-be the exact reasons I would avoid it like the plague if I lived there.

 

[Pelegrin]

Ezequiel has big room and long tables that remind the ritual of pulpo in Galicia.
In Galicia in the past, the only diversion for farmers who lived in isolated villages was going to Mass on Sundays and having pulpo at feiras (of cattle) once per month in big tents with long tables, drinking wine and watching in front of them how the pulpeiras cooked it.
That's the ritual of pulpo in Galicia.
The pulpería is not the same. It is like drinking beer in Munich in a bar or in a Biergarten.

 

[TaijiPilgrim]

I have never eaten pulpo in Melide because I was usually passing through mid-morning ... too early for me to eat it! My introduction to pulpo was at O Cebriero in 2011. We reached the village in the midst of a big September fiesta. There were huge tents where people were cooking pulpo in 55 gallon type metal drums. Pulpo, vino tinto, and bread was served on wooden platters to rows of tables filled with happy people. Unforgettable!

 

[Csutak]

I have to amit I am sorry for the pulpos. Especially, after seeing them in the boiling orange water. I even left the pulperia... but I returned as I promised my husband to try pulpo in Melide together.
However, we agreed that never again!

This photo was taken by me in 2009.

 

[Isca-camigo]

Yes that's the downside of eating Pulpo, that octopuses are killed for it, and as much as I like eating Pulpo, for my next Camino which probably goes through a strong Pulpo eating region around Ribadavia I am considering giving them a miss.

 

[KinkyOne]

Well, for almost whatever we eat something has to die. Animals, plants, even bacterias and fungus.

 

[Isca-camigo]

You are right KI but for years I have been hearing reports of the nature of the demise of the Pulpo, and I have been a bit incredulous to the reports, now is a good time for me to look at it and maybe take a break from eating it on Camino.

 

[HikingGeo]

Pulperia Ezequiel, Melide

Warning: this one is not for the squeamish! An article about the secret of the success of the famous pulperia in Melide - a long time legend of the Camino Frances. Apparently amongst other things the key to excellent pulpo involves having a non-Galician proprietor, iron-rich water and a cement mixer...

https://www.ileon.com/actualidad/provincia/100438/el-mejor-pulpo-del-camino-esta-en-manos-de-un-lacianiego

Loved Ezequiel!

 

[VNwalking]

The more I know about octopuses, the less interested I am in consuming them.
No matter how they are prepared and cooked.
Instead, I torture pimentos de padron.