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Today this market called “el mercau” of Cangas remains the oldest one of 200 years ago. It is always on Sundays, a working day in Cangas, probably the most busy of the week. This modern place remains that one described by Jovellanos. What it was before “the Church yard” today is “the Church square”.
The Sunday market in Cangas of Onís is one of the most famous points in the East side of Asturias. Mr Jovellanos, the famous writer, in his “Diaries” described this market on his way to Covadonga. This is a wonderful description we can read on a badge located in the same market: “From the festival to the church yard, always crowded and much traffic of cattle, grappling irons full of pieces, coat hooks, all of them sold and bought by women, cloths, canvas, sythes and other rustic elements such as kitchen utensils, house cloths in the end lots of stores always full of people and movement”. It is just in the same place where the Palaciu Pintu is located, near the parish. This place is full of arcs which give fame to this market thanks to the lots of people who visit it weekly.
There are lots of different stores which offer a variety of different things. These shops appeared in order to supply all those pre-industrial homes with useful items for daily use. Here today artisan food is the most sold because of its high quality and natural taste. Hundreds of vegetables of the nearby localities as well as the Asturian good pastures appear to be sold every Sunday in this famous market of Cangas.
Here, it is easy to buy artisan cheeses such as the one of Cabrales cheese, Gamoneu cheese and Beyos at low price. These ones are probably the most famous in the Peaks of Europe.
In addition to these, there are more kind of cheeses elaborated in Llanes (Pría, Vidiago, Porrua…) and in the rest of the Asturian councils.
We can also find all kind of sausages and meats of the area. This council is a great producer of pork, beef and lamb and also of wild boar and deer sausages. The traditional cuisine of Cangas is rich for its variety and quality of the products of its market garden. In this market is easy to find tomatoes, onions, peppers, baby marrows, garlic, fruit, lettuce, beets, beansÉ Women and men from the nearby councils come to sell their excellent harvest and vegetables. Here we can also find butter, honey, eggs… In addition to these, woods, furs, pottery…
In Cangas of Onís one can find a paradise of traditional products. Not in vain, this city counts with products of high quality and good prices. Sundays are also good for visiting Cangas, its streets and we can also end the morning with a good glass of cider or local wine and a delicious meal.
You can find a great number of rooms hotels and hostels of Cangas de Onís. All the food that can be tasted here belongs to these lands, the meat, the fishing in the river Sella… We can also find here the traditional icecream of Peña Santa, the artisan cakes of the area and cookies.
We have been talking about a modern city. In its central street we can find good hotels and cafes. Its proximity to Covadonga, makes of this place one of the most visited in this region. Its main commerce is based on a traditional market that makes a visit on Sunday very worthwhile.
Texto: © Ramón Molleda para desdeasturias.com