Typical dishes: Cocido montañés (Highlander stew) made with beans and collard greens; cocido lebaniego (Liébanan stew) made from chickpeas and marmita).

Meat dishes: Beef, ox, deer, roe deer or boar. Cooked on the grill, stewed or with vegetables.

The livestock farming reputation of the region and its climatological conditions favouring cattle breeding allowed the European Union to pass the “Meats of Cantabria” denomination as a Protected Geographic Denomination for the beef of certain kinds of native races (Tudanca, Monchina) and others adapted to the environment or integrated by assimilation (Brown Alpine).

Fish and seafood: Anchovies, angler, hake, sea bass, sole, mackerel, sardine, European anchovies, bonito of the North (of Spain), gilt-head bream, sea bream, red mullet, and scorpionfish, as well as some river fish such as trout and salmon. Rabas (fried calamari) and cachón en su tinta (cuttlefish cooked in its own ink) are local specialties. Clam, mussel, muergos (jackknife), cockle, velvet crab, spider crab, goose barnacle, periwinkle, Norway lobster and European lobster are available.

Desserts: Quesadas and sobaos of the Pas valley; Unquera’s Corbatas and Torrelavega’s polkas both basically puff pastry); Palucos de Cabezón de la Sal; and Pantortillas of Reinosa.

Cheeses: Quesucos de Liébana.

Drinks: Chacolí; apple cider and orujo (liquor made from pomace) from Liébana; and tostadillo from Potes.