When someone mentions the name of Coristanco, the word “potato” immediately comes to mind, that edible tuber whose cultivation has had great importance for this town for over forty years, and, in particular, the gastronomic festival that is celebrated in its honour.
Potato began to be grown in Galicia at the beginning of the 18th century through the poor lands of the Cantabrian coast, the plains of Lugo and the mountains of Pontevedra and Ourense, on fields of rye or land reclaimed from the forest. It would take some time for potatoes to take over valleys where maize and wheat were grown. When this tuber became an indispensable ingredient in cooking, it began to take over the best land, as happened in the municipality of Coristanco.
It was soon discovered that the fields in this municipality had excellent conditions for growing potatoes, which was increasingly in demand at the markets of the area. In this way, the potato stopped being a product solely for family consumption and became an economic resource for many families in the municipality. To increase productivity and the quality of the crop, many varieties needed to be tried out before the two that were the most suitable for this land were chosen: the native fina and the American Kennebec.
At the end of the 1970s, the Bergantiños Potato Cooperative was created to group together the producers of this product for marketing purposes. This organisation and the Coristanco town council sponsored the first Festa da Pataca, Potato Festival, in 1981, one of the first gastronomic celebrations in Galicia, which over time became the symbol of this Bergantinian municipality.
The festival is held on the third weekend in September, after the harvest, and it has evolved over time while preserving its original significance, which is based on extolling the potato and the agricultural activities and traditions related with growing it.
Sunday has always been the most important day of this popular festival. In the morning, tractors decorated with sculptures made of potatoes gather and parade through the streets to the square where the event is commemorated. A proclamation is then read out and prizes awarded, and afterwards dishes in which potatoes are the essential ingredient can be tasted. The afternoon features children’s games and contests, such as the potato dance, potato gathering, catching potatoes in a fishing net and a tug-of-war, and the day ends with a show or a musical performance.
In recent years the number of days has been increased, so that the activities begin on Saturday and even on Friday. On these days, informative talks on potato cultivation and cultural, recreational and musical activities are organised. In 2022 two important events boosted this celebration: the declaration as a festival of tourist interest and the inauguration of the Potato Museum.
