Barnacles reproduce in areas of open sea and very beaten by the waves, as they require highly oxygenated water for their growth. That is why collecting them is a very risky task.
The Galician Barnacle is distinguished from foreign species by its larger size and shorter length, they are darker and thicker than those of other origins and have fewer limestone plates on their shells. Due to their characteristics, the Galician Barnacles are called "sun", because of the sunny environment in which they proliferate, in contrast to the so-called "shaded", narrow, elongated ones that are usually found in deeper crevices.
The characteristics of the rocks of the Galician coast, the cold water, the light and the strong waves favor the development of the most famous Barnacle of Galicia comes from two main areas, the Island of Ons and the Island of Cies.
For generations, the barnacles have been harvested in the traditional way among the waves and rocks of the estuaries and cliffs, risking their lives to obtain this precious "Black Gold".
Cooked for one minute with salt and bay leaf, or in the sea water itself, the Galician Barnacles are such a select ingredient that they need no further preparation.