{"id":793,"date":"2020-05-25T13:45:36","date_gmt":"2020-05-25T13:45:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tasteporto.com\/?p=793"},"modified":"2025-06-04T17:05:04","modified_gmt":"2025-06-04T17:05:04","slug":"goose-barnacles-or-what-are-those-funny-looking-things-at-the-fish-stalls","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tasteporto.com\/pt\/goose-barnacles-or-what-are-those-funny-looking-things-at-the-fish-stalls\/","title":{"rendered":"Goose Barnacles or what are those funny-looking things at the fish stalls?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Not everyone is familiar with the strange things that the sea gives to Portugal. So today, let’s talk about Goose Barnacles!

Being a country located by the sea, Portugal does its best to enjoy everything the sea has to offer: the beach, the waves, and, of course, the food. Therefore, we are big on seafood in all its magnificence.

That being said, not everyone is familiar with the strange things that the sea gives us, and this applies to Goose Barnacles. Often, one can see tourists gawking and pointing in horror at the weird-looking, brown, rocky-looking things next to the fresh fish in Mercado do Bolh\u00e3o<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Do you understand?<\/em><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In Portugal, we call them percebes (per-se-besh)<\/em>, which is also the word for the expression “Do you understand?” or “s\/he understands”, causing hilarious translation downfalls in some menus. These are Goose Barnacles: crustaceans that live attached to the hard surfaces of rocks and flotsam in the ocean. It is a dangerous job to get them from the rocks, but gladly, some people are willing to do it. This is why it is not the cheapest seafood you will find in Portugal, but possibly one of the best. <\/p>\n\n\n

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\"goose<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Pssst… Join our Food & Drink Tours <\/strong>and discover a side of Porto that most tourists rarely see (goose barnacles included) \u00bb<\/a><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

How to cook goose barnacles?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There are different ways to cook the barnacles, but ultimately simplicity is best: with water and salt. If you decide to give it a spin, add olive oil and a bay leaf. In a large pot, heat enough salted water to cover the percebes.<\/em> When it starts to boil, add the barnacles, salt, and bring it back to a boil. Drain and serve with toasted bread and a glass of cold green wine. Oh, and lemon wedges! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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