Percebe
Goose barnacle
Percebes only grow on rocks that are battered by the sea and gathering them has traditionally been a very hazardous activity often carried out by women on the Galician coast.
The danger involved in their collection explains the high prices paid at market.
Percebes are usually cooked in sea water with the addition of a bay leaf.
The name goose barnacle comes from the ancient belief that geese developed from them as the birds were never seen to nest and there was no understanding of bird migration at the time.