David Beckham has been photographed eating an unusual delicacy.
The former footballer posted a snap on his Instagram Story of food that certainly looks pretty alien.
These are persebe, which Beckham calls “one of the things I like to eat when it’s in season” in Spain. And Beckham seems to know what he’s talking about. A recent Netflix documentary about his life and career revealed that he is an avid cook and gourmet foodie.
Persebe goes by many names, including goose barnacle, barnacle, and even Lucifer’s finger. It has a strange appearance, with dark, rubbery stems and a white head that somewhat resembles a goose’s beak.
Although they look interplanetary, they are actually a rare type of crustacean. Perseve is notoriously difficult to obtain. Persebe is carved from rock in dangerous locations along the Atlantic coast of Western Europe. The Costa da Morte (Death Coast) in Galicia, Spain is famous for its barnacle collection.
Harvesting Persebe involves climbing treacherous cliffs, being carried by waves, and even diving underwater. This means that barnacles are relatively expensive. The bigger the barnacle, the more meat it contains and therefore the more money you get.
Persebes are most common in Spain and Portugal, especially around coastal areas where persebes are harvested. According to The Fish Society, a 250g pack containing around 10 to 30 barnacles costs £24.50.
“Large barnacles are typically about 7 centimeters long,” the fish association says.
If you want to cook persebe at home, the process is simple. Just boil it in salted water for a few minutes and it’s ready to eat. Most recipes recommend keeping it simple, such as eating it plain or garnishing it with a squeeze of lemon or herbs like parsley.
The taste is obviously incredibly salty – Persebe is said to be basically the closest thing to the taste of the sea – but it’s also something between lobster and clams.
To eat an alien-like barnacle, crush the hard shell and extract the flesh.
If you decide to try these strange delicacies at home, be careful. The fish association said: The barnacles are very tightly attached and can be damaged if removed before cooking. ”