Gastronomy
Flavours of the Miño
Tui’s riverside pantry shapes its cuisine: river lamprey and elvers paired with Albariño wines from Condado do Tea. Seasonal produce that tells the story of the Baixo Miño.
River produce
Miño lamprey
Season: January to April
One of the river’s great delicacies. It is caught by hand in the lower Miño using traditional methods and the celebrated stone fishing weirs of Roman origin.
Lamprey is an anadromous fish that swims up the Miño each winter. In Tui it is served Bordeaux-style —cooked in its own blood and accompanied by rice—, stuffed, smoked or in a pie. Several local restaurants serve it as a seasonal dish.
Signature produce
Meixón (Miño elver)
Festa do Meixón in April
The young eel is Tui’s most exclusive gastronomic product, closely tied to the identity of the river and the San Telmo festivities.
Tui revived the Festa do Meixón in 2018, a restaurant trail in which participating venues serve a tasting portion in a commemorative casserole with bread and wine, by advance reservation. Its scarcity has made it a luxury delicacy strongly associated with Baixo Miño cuisine.
Wine tourism
Wine culture: Condado do Tea
Tui lies in Condado do Tea, the warmer inland subzone of the Rías Baixas D.O., along the banks of the Miño and Tea rivers.
The vineyards around Tui produce Albariño wines, often blended with Treixadura, Loureiro and Caíño Branco. They are ideal partners for lamprey and elvers. Local wineries welcome visitors to discover this tradition at first hand.
Festa do Meixón
Every spring, Tui’s restaurants celebrate the Miño elver. Check the agenda for dates.