Corbatas de Unquera
A fifteen-minute stop for a box, and you are unlikely to eat just one. Buy them at the original bakeries in Unquera, not at a service station.
A pastry shaped like a necktie, made in one border town since the 19th century — the snack that stops traffic on the coast road.
Os Pasiegos · Liébana · Santander · Potes
At a Glance
Corbatas are strips of puff pastry filled with pastry cream and twisted into the shape of a necktie, made in Unquera on the Cantabrian-Asturian border since the 1800s. The town's bakeries sell them by the box to people driving the coast road, and the recipe has barely changed. They are eaten with coffee, or in the car.
How it got here
Unquera sits at the precise point where the Deva River meets the Cantabrian Sea, acting as the historic transit gateway between the provinces of Cantabria and Asturias. This border position defined the evolution of local trades, turning a crossing point into a hub for travelers moving along the coast. During the nineteenth century, the creation of puff pastry confections shaped like neckties became the distinct culinary identity of the local baking industry. These pastries emerged from the necessity of providing durable, transportable goods for those navigating the rugged trade routes between the two provinces. The craft persists today, preserving the early industrial baking techniques established when the road first connected these isolated coastal populations.
Where it sits
The town marks the coastal edge of the Picos de Europa where the mountains descend sharply into the Atlantic. Heavy rainfall shapes the landscape into deep green valleys and cliffs that drop directly into the cold, rough water. Salt air and moisture define the climate, keeping the meadows lush even during dry months. Access relies on the main coastal arterial road that links the port cities. Traffic flows steadily through the passage, though the surrounding hills remain sparse and quiet. Winter storms often descend from the peaks to cool the coast while summer brings mild temperatures and consistent sea mists.
What to eat and drink
Corbatas consist of folded puff pastry brushed with egg glaze and crusted with sugar and crushed almonds. Beyond this specialty, the province produces high quality dairy products and intense blue cheeses like Picón Bejes-Tresviso, matured in high mountain caves. The regional meal typically involves Cocido montañés, a thick stew of white beans, cabbage, and local pork products including chorizo and morcilla. Dessert often ends with Sobaos pasiegos, dense butter cakes made from concentrated milk fat. Local white wines are uncommon, so diners pair these heavy, salt-forward dishes with crisp sidra, a sharp, unfiltered apple cider poured from a height to release its aromatics.
Cantabria: the whole region
A small region with an unusual amount of everything: a coast of rough Atlantic beaches, the eastern half of the Picos de Europa, the Pas and Liébana valleys, and two of the most important prehistoric and religious sites in Spain in…
Minimum 3 days · better 5-6 days · deep 9 days
In Cantabria
In Cantabria
More regional dish in Cantabria
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