Percebes
Percebes — goose barnacles — are among the most prized seafood of the Portuguese coast, and a delicacy found in Nazaré.
The percebe is a strange-looking shellfish that grows clustered on rocks battered by the surf. Harvesting them is famously dangerous work: the percebeiros gather them by hand from wave-lashed rocks, which is part of the reason they are so highly valued and command a high price. They are prepared with great simplicity — boiled briefly in well-salted water, sometimes with a bay leaf, and served just as they are.
To eat a percebe, the leathery outer skin is pulled away to reveal the firm flesh within, which carries a pure, concentrated taste of the sea. They are not unique to Nazaré — they are found along much of the Atlantic coast — but on this rugged, surf-beaten shore they are very much at home. For the visitor, percebes are one of the most distinctive seafood experiences Portugal offers.
Highlights
- Goose barnacles — among Portugal's most prized seafood
- Grow clustered on surf-battered rocks
- Gathered by hand in famously dangerous work
- Boiled simply in well-salted water
- A pure, concentrated taste of the sea
Frequently asked questions
What are percebes?
Percebes are goose barnacles — a prized shellfish that grows on surf-battered rocks, with a pure, concentrated taste of the sea.
Why are percebes expensive?
They are gathered by hand from wave-lashed rocks, famously dangerous work, which is part of why they are so highly valued.
Are percebes from Nazaré?
They are found along much of the Atlantic coast, but on Nazaré’s rugged, surf-beaten shore they are very much at home.