Women digging clams on the beach

Seafood is one of the staples of the Galician pantry. This includes mollusks such as cockles, oysters, and clams, as well as the 2 “kings” of Galician cuisine—octopus and mussels. Hand-picking refers to the digging of different types that live on, or in, the sandy seabed. Shellfish diggers (such as those pictured in the photograph) mainly pick cockles, razor clams, and pod razors.