A waiter lifts a green bottle high above his head, lets a thin stream of cider drop into a glass held low at his hip, and hands it to you with a look that says “drink that now.” At the next table, someone is wrestling a cutlet the size of a dinner plate, and a bowl of bean stew is steaming away beside it. Welcome to Asturias, the green, mountainous region on Spain’s northern coast, and one of the most satisfying food scenes in the country.
Asturian cuisine runs on big flavors and bigger portions. Think slow-cooked beans, smoky sausage, seafood straight from the Cantabrian Sea, a seriously impressive lineup of cheeses and a cider tradition that UNESCO added to its cultural heritage list in 2024. Oviedo, the regional capital, was also named Spain’s Capital of Gastronomy for 2024, so the timing for a food trip is excellent.
I put this guide together for fellow foodies who want to know what to eat in Asturias, what to order first and where to find the good stuff. Below are 12 must-try Asturian dishes, drinks and sweets, plus restaurant picks, cider-pouring tips and a few tours worth booking.
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What Is Asturian Cuisine?
Asturian cuisine is the hearty, ingredient-driven cooking of Asturias in northern Spain. It leans on fabes (big white beans), cured pork, fresh fish and shellfish, around 300 varieties of cheese and natural cider, and most dishes are simple, generous and made for sharing. If your idea of Spanish food is tapas and paella, this is a different world: wetter, greener, cozier and a lot more cow.
Not sure where to start? Order a fabada, a share-sized cachopo and a bottle of sidra, then add a cheese board. That is Asturian food’s greatest hits in a single sitting.
Food is just one of many reasons to visit Asturias, and you can taste your way across the region on our 10-day Northern Spain road trip.
The Best Asturian Dishes to Try
These are the authentic Asturian food dishes locals order on repeat. Portions are big, so go with company and share.
1. Fabada Asturiana: Asturias’ Famous Bean Stew
Fabada asturiana is the dish that defines Asturian cuisine. Large, buttery white beans simmer for hours with chorizo, morcilla (blood sausage) and cured pork shoulder (lacón) until the broth turns rich, smoky and a little red from the paprika in the sausages. The beans get so creamy they practically dissolve on your spoon.
Treat fabada as the main event and skip the extra starters. If you’re visiting in winter, fabada and pote asturiano, a cabbage, bean and potato stew with a similar mix of sausage and pork, are the dishes to order. Cider is the classic partner, because its tartness cuts through all that richness.
For a great bowl, try La Corte de Pelayo in Oviedo, where fabada shares the spotlight with the restaurant’s famous cachopo. In the mountains, Sidrería Ribeles in Arenas de Cabrales is known for generous portions. Book ahead at both, especially in high season.
2. Cachopo: The Giant Stuffed Cutlet
Cachopo asturiano is the region’s showstopper. Two thin veal fillets sandwich ham and cheese, then get breaded and fried until golden and served with fries and peppers. Cut into it and the cheese oozes out, which is exactly the point. Locals will also tell you it is definitely not a San Jacobo.
Modern versions go well beyond ham and cheese. Look for cecina (cured beef) with goat cheese, or Cabrales with minced pork. Some restaurants also offer a smaller cachopín if you can’t commit to the full thing.
Share one. A cachopo usually feeds two people, even before the sides.
La Corte de Pelayo in Oviedo is a cachopo specialist, and Tierra Astur is another Oviedo cider-house favorite. On the coast, Sidrería El Tarteru in Ribadesella is a classic for its house cachopo. At last check it didn’t take reservations, so put your name on the list and wait with a glass of cider.
3. Tortos: Corn Pancakes with Big Toppings
Tortos (also called tortas de maíz) are thick corn-flour pancakes, and they’re one of the best ways to taste everyday Asturian food. They arrive topped with picadillo (spiced minced pork), a fried egg or cheese. Cabrales with apple and caramelized onion is a standout combination, and a cheese-topped torto is one of the easier vegetarian orders on a cider-house menu.
Most sidrerías serve them. El Gato Negro in Oviedo lists tortos with picadillo and ham among its specialties.
4. Chorizo a la Sidra: Sausage Simmered in Cider
Chorizo a la sidra is the cider-house snack that explains Asturias in one bite. Smoky Asturian chorizo simmers slowly in cider until it soaks up the tang and a touch of sweetness, and the sauce turns glossy. It usually comes in a small clay pot with bread for mopping, so order it as a ración for the table.
El Gato Negro, in the old town of Oviedo, is a good place to try it. Always have it with a glass of natural sidra.
Asturian Seafood Dishes
With the Cantabrian Sea on its doorstep, Asturias does seafood extremely well, and the coastal towns are where to eat it. If you only have room for two, make it these.
5. Merluza a la Sidra: Hake in Cider Sauce
Cider isn’t just for drinking here. Merluza a la sidra, hake in a bright, tangy cider sauce, shows how the region cooks with it. It’s a lighter counterpoint to all the stews and fried food, so it’s smart to order one for the table.
Keep an eye out for pixín too, the Asturian word for monkfish, which turns up on menus around Llanes. It’s a local delicacy worth ordering when you see it.
6. Zamburiñas: Grilled or Cider-Simmered Baby Scallops
Zamburiñas are small, sweet scallops from the Cantabrian Sea and a coastal favorite on Asturian menus. The classic way is grilled in the shell over hot coals with a squeeze of lemon, which caramelizes the edges and keeps the middle juicy. Zamburiñas a la sidra is the more Asturian twist: sautéed with garlic, then simmered in a cider reduction that adds a hint of tang and sweetness.
We had ours at Restaurante Siete Puertas in Llanes, a seafood-focused restaurant with a canopied terrace, and paired them with a crisp white wine. You’ll also find zamburiñas at cider houses like El Gato Negro in Oviedo and El Tarteru in Ribadesella.
Asturian Cheese Varieties: A Cheese Lover’s Guide
If one product could represent Asturias, it would be cheese. The region makes around 300 varieties. Four have protected designation of origin (Cabrales, Gamonéu, Afuega’l Pitu and Casín) and a fifth, Los Beyos, has protected geographical indication. A good cheese board here is a tasting trip all by itself.
7. Cabrales Cheese: Asturias’ Famous Blue
Cabrales is Asturias’ blue cheese heavyweight. It’s made mainly from cow’s milk, sometimes blended with goat or sheep milk, and matured in natural mountain caves in the Picos de Europa, where the cool, damp air grows its blue veins. Expect soft, crumbly and intense, with a sharp bite that is part of its charm. If you’re new to blue cheese, start with a small piece.
Pairing is easy: fresh bread with a drizzle of honey, apple slices, figs, or a glass of cider or bold red wine. In Asturian kitchens, Cabrales also gets melted into a creamy sauce for steak (look for salsa de Cabrales on menus), stuffed into croquetas and spooned over tortos.
Want to see where it’s made? Tasting Cabrales in a cheese cave was one of the most fun things we did in Asturias. Our notes on the visit, including the fact that tours are in Spanish with a tablet for other languages, are in our guide to things to do in Asturias. If you’d rather have the driving and a guide handled for you, this Bulnes and Cabrales cheese cave day trip with tasting departs from Oviedo. Check the listing for what’s included.
8. Gamonéu, Afuega’l Pitu, Los Beyos and Casín: Beyond Cabrales
Once you’ve met Cabrales, build a proper Asturian cheese board with these:
- Gamonéu: lightly smoky, made from a blend of cow, sheep and goat milk, with bluish-green veins under a natural rind. It’s matured in mountain caves and is lovely with fresh bread.
- Afuega’l Pitu: a crumbly but spreadable cheese from central Asturias. Its name roughly means “choke the chicken,” a nod to its thick texture. Look for the roxu version, kneaded with chili pepper for a red color and a kick, and try it with apple slices.
- Los Beyos: from the Amieva and Ponga area in the east. It’s tangy and crumbly, and great with a drizzle of honey.
- Casín: one of the oldest cheeses in Spain, now making a comeback with a handful of producers. A fun one to hunt down.
For a tapas-style cheese board, pick one blue, one smoky and one fresh or spicy cheese. Add walnuts, figs, a little honey and a glass of cider, and you have a true taste of Asturias on one plate.
Typical Asturian Desserts and Pastries
Save room. Asturias has a serious sweet tooth, and its desserts are comforting rather than fussy.
9. Arroz con Leche: Asturian Rice Pudding
Arroz con leche is the dessert nearly every Asturian restaurant serves to close a big meal. It isn’t exclusively Asturian, but the local versions are creamy, scented with cinnamon and lemon peel and often finished with a caramelized sugar top. Locals happily debate whether it’s best requemado (burnt on top) or with a dusting of cinnamon, so ask what the kitchen does and order one to share.
If your timing is right, there’s even a festival for it: the Festival del Arroz con Leche in Santolaya, Cabranes, held the Sunday closest to May 9.
10. Casadielles: Walnut-Filled Fried Pastries
Casadielles are fried dough pockets filled with crushed walnuts, sugar or honey and a splash of anise. The dough turns crisp and golden, the filling is nutty and sweet, and they’re best eaten fresh and warm. Some bakers swap in hazelnuts or almonds. You’ll find them in bakeries across Asturias, and they’re a favorite at celebrations.
More Asturian Pastries: Carbayones, Frixuelos and Moscovitas
Oviedo is the place to pick up two classics. Carbayones are glazed almond pastries, and moscovitas are thin, crisp chocolate and almond biscuits that make excellent souvenirs. Around Carnival, look for frixuelos, sweet crepes served plain with sugar or filled with cream, jam or chocolate spread.
Asturian Cider (Sidra) and Other Drinks
11. Sidra Asturiana: Asturian Cider
Sidra is the soul of Asturian food culture. In December 2024, UNESCO added Asturian cider culture to its Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, recognizing everything from orchards and cider making to how the drink is poured and shared.
Traditional natural cider is dry, tart, slightly hazy and completely flat. That surprises many first-timers, and it’s the reason for the dramatic pour. Asturias’ protected designation covers three styles: sidra natural, a filtered style called nueva expresión and a sparkling version. If you’re new to sidra, ask for natural cider and share a bottle. Some beginners ease in with the filtered nueva expresión, which has a cleaner flavor.
How to Pour Asturian Cider: The Escanciado Technique
Escanciar, the Asturian cider pouring technique, looks easy until you try it. The pourer holds the bottle high overhead with an extended arm and sends a thin stream down into a wide glass held low, so the cider splashes against the rim. That splash aerates the cider and releases its aroma. At the pouring competition at the Festival de la Sidra in Nava, judges look for 100 ml in the glass, five times in a row, without a miss.
The etiquette matters too. A serving is a small culín, just a mouthful, and you drink it right away because the cider goes flat fast. In many cider houses the waiter does the pouring, so resist grabbing the bottle yourself.
Visit a Sidrería: Asturian Cider Houses
A sidrería (cider house) is where it all comes together: long tables, clinking glasses, big plates of chorizo, cheese and cachopo, and waiters who pour without looking at the glass. In Oviedo, Calle Gascona is nicknamed the Boulevard of Cider for its row of cider houses. Tierra Astur and El Gato Negro (Plaza Trascorrales) are two lively options in the city.
To see how cider is actually made, head to Nava. A guided visit to the Vda. de Angelón cider mill takes about 1.5 hours and covers the orchard and cellar, with cider tastings and a small appetizer at the end.
12. Orujo: Asturias’ Strong After-Dinner Spirit
Orujo is the traditional spirit of Asturias, distilled from the grape pomace left after winemaking. If you’ve tried grappa, you’ll recognize the style: strong, a little fiery and meant for sipping. It’s served after a big meal to settle things, and a restaurant may bring you a small glass on the house as a gesture of hospitality. Take it slightly chilled or at room temperature, and take it slowly.
Where to Eat Asturian Cuisine: Our Restaurant Picks
Meals in Asturias run on Spanish time: lunch roughly 1 to 4 pm and dinner after 8 pm, with many kitchens closing in between. Several favorites also close on Mondays, so check before you go.
Best Asturian Restaurants in Oviedo
- La Corte de Pelayo: a long-running favorite on Calle San Francisco, known for its cachopo and fabada.
- Sidrería El Gato Negro: a stone-walled cider house in Plaza Trascorrales in the old town. It’s popular, so reserve. The menu covers zamburiñas, tortos, cachopo and chorizo a la sidra, and it was closed Mondays at last check.
- Tierra Astur: a lively cider-house chain with a location in Oviedo, good for a casual round of cider, cheese and meats.
Where to Eat Along the Coast and in the Mountains
- Sidrería El Tarteru, Ribadesella: a riverfront classic open for lunch and dinner every day. Expect a wait, since it doesn’t take bookings.
- Restaurante Siete Puertas, Llanes: a seafood and rice favorite, closed Mondays at last check.
- Sidrería Ribeles, Arenas de Cabrales: big portions of fabada and cachopo near the Picos de Europa. Reserve ahead.
Planning to sleep here too? See our guide to where to stay in Asturias.
Asturian Food Tours, Cider Mills and Cheese Cave Experiences
Eating your way through Asturias is easy. Understanding what’s on your plate is even better with a local guide. These are good options:
- Cheese and Cider Food Tour in Gijón: a 2-hour walk starting at Gijón’s Cider Tree, with cider tastings, pinchos and Asturian cheeses. It ends with cider or Cabrales cheese ice cream. The listing currently shows a Spanish-speaking guide, so check the language before booking.
- Vda. de Angelón cider mill visit in Nava: orchard, cellar and tastings of natural cider.
- Bulnes and Cabrales cheese cave day trip: a full day from Oviedo that pairs mountain scenery with a cheese tasting.
Asturian Food Culture and Traditions
In Asturias, food is hospitality. Fabada and cachopo are cooked big and served to share, and cider keeps the table talking. That mix of generosity and local pride is the heart of Asturian gastronomy.
A Short History of Asturian Cuisine
Asturian food grew out of what the land and sea provided: pasture for cows, sheep and goats, apple orchards, steep valleys for farming and a long Cantabrian coast. Cheesemaking here is the product of centuries of shepherding, and cider has been part of Asturian life since at least the early Middle Ages.
Some of today’s best-known ingredients are surprisingly young. Beans, potatoes and corn all arrived from the Americas after 1492. The beans became fabada’s fabes, the potatoes went into pote, and corn flour gave us tortos. They slotted into Asturian cooking so well it’s hard to imagine the cuisine without them.
Food Festivals and Traditions Worth Planning Around
- Festival de la Sidra, Nava: cider tastings and pouring competitions in the middle of cider country.
- Gascona cider tasting, Oviedo: held in May on Calle Gascona, with the 2025 edition marking its 25th year.
- Cheese fairs: August is packed, with fairs in Llanes, Cuerres (Ribadesella), Campo de Caso and Arenas de Cabrales. The Afuega’l Pitu contest in La Foz de Morcín kicks off the cheese year.
- Amagüestos and espichas: traditional chestnut festivals and cider parties found in towns and villages across the region.
Dates shift from year to year, so check the local tourism calendar before booking.
Asturian Cooking: Ingredients, Techniques and Regional Flavors
What Makes Asturian Cooking Different
The basics of Asturian cooking come down to patience and a short list of great ingredients. Stews like fabada and pote simmer slowly around the compango, the pork products (chorizo, morcilla and bacon or cured pork) that give them smoky depth. Cider goes into the pot as often as it goes into the glass, as in chorizo a la sidra and merluza a la sidra. The pantry staples are fabes, pork products, cheese and apples, plus sea fish like hake and monkfish. Asturian veal is the base for cachopo.
Regional Variations in Asturian Cuisine
- Eastern Asturias and the Picos de Europa: Cabrales and Gamonéu cheeses, baked kid goat (cabritu) and steaks with Cabrales sauce.
- Central Asturias: Afuega’l Pitu cheese, Oviedo’s pastries and the city’s famous cachopos.
- The coast: seafood, hake in cider and pixín around Llanes.
- Western Asturias: chestnut soup (caldo de castañas) shows up on colder-month menus.
Specialties vary from village to village, so ask locals what they’d order.
Cooking Asturian Food at Home
Craving fabada once you’re home? Traditional Asturian recipes are surprisingly doable. Soak dried fabes overnight, then simmer them slowly and gently with good chorizo, morcilla and cured pork. The beans reward patience. To bring the flavors home, browse a gourmet shop like La Barata in Cangas de Onís for cheese, cider, chocolate and other regional treats.
Asturian Food FAQ
What is Asturian cuisine known for?
Asturian cuisine is known for hearty, slow-cooked dishes like fabada asturiana (bean stew) and cachopo (stuffed breaded veal), strong cheeses such as Cabrales, fresh seafood from the Cantabrian Sea and natural cider poured from a height.
What is the most famous Asturian dish?
Fabada asturiana, a stew of large white beans, chorizo, morcilla and cured pork, is the region’s best-known dish. Cachopo, a giant breaded veal cutlet stuffed with ham and cheese, is a close second.
How is Asturian cider different from other cider?
Traditional Asturian cider (sidra natural) is dry, tart and still, with no bubbles, so it’s poured from a height to aerate it. It’s served in small amounts and drunk right away. In 2024, UNESCO added Asturian cider culture to its list of intangible cultural heritage.
Is Asturian food vegetarian-friendly?
It can be tricky, because many stews and fillings include pork. Easier options include cheese boards, cheese-topped tortos, Cabrales salads and sweets like arroz con leche and frixuelos. It helps to ask whether a dish contains meat or meat broth.
How does Asturian cuisine compare with Basque cuisine?
Both are northern Spanish cuisines that love seafood, beef and still cider, but the feel is different. Asturias leans toward bean stews, a huge cheese tradition and the overhead cider pour, while the Basque Country is better known for pintxo bars and cider houses where cider comes straight from the barrels.
How much should you order at an Asturian restaurant?
Less than you think. Portions are generous and many dishes are made for sharing. A single cachopo often feeds two people, so order one plate to share and add more if you’re still hungry.
Can you take an Asturian food tour?
Yes. You can join a cheese and cider tour in Gijón, visit a working cider mill in Nava or take a day trip from Oviedo to the Cabrales cheese caves. See the tour options above.
Wrapping Up
Asturian cuisine is proof that simple ingredients, patience and a good pour can add up to something unforgettable. Order the fabada, share the cachopo, learn to love a funky blue cheese and finish with arroz con leche.
