When started talking about the culture of eating in the Basques Country, it is necessary to mention pinchos. Tapas, a type of appetizer, served with wine in all the bars and restaurants in Spain, are hugely recognized, becoming almost the gastronomic and social center of the region. The thing is, the pinchos are not just food for the Basques. Though in the classic sense, this type of snack is considered to be an appetizer before the main course, most locals, as well as tourists, has it for dinner or lunch. Well, why should you really choose just one place and wait for your food, when you can visit two, three, or even four-five restaurants, each of which will have their own type of pinchos?
The region’s accommodation sphere is represented by more than five hundred of hotels, many of which occupy beautiful historic buildings. Great interest to history buffs is the hotel …
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Then again, if you want to have a relaxed evening, enjoying your food, interior, and music, and not going around the bars, don’t worry, you won’t be disappointed in the Basques’ culinary arts. If you are a real gourmet, you should definitely visit at least one of the Michelin star restaurants. There are ten of them in San-Sebastian and Bilbao – from Azurmendi, famous for its unusual setting, to a family restaurant Alameda. Please note, that such places are usually opened only for lunch and dinner, and mostly require dress-code.
A visit to a sidreria, on the other hand, will cost you much less. A sidreria is a traditional Basque restaurant, where the menu is based on the courses, served with cider. Under any circumstances, do not miss the opportunity to try an omelet with codfish, a beef chop, and Idiazabal cheese, which is served as a dessert with nuts and quince jam. The Basque Country is famous for its grilled dishes. When in Getaria, go to Elkano, where you will find great beef cutlets and a perfectly fried flounder and hake. If you like grilled meat, you will be pleased by Txuleta and Nestor in San-Sebastian, and choose Zarate in Bilbao, if you prefer fish courses. Copyright www.orangesmile.com
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When choosing a dish, remember, that the portions in all the restaurants are really really big. They add a minimal amount of spices in the food, and the menu is adjusted to the season, as the Basques prefer to use only the fresh products. The meat is cooked in big pieces, grilled or fried on an open fire. If you have an opportunity, try chuleton – a rare beef steak served with fried garlic. Fish and seafood are quite popular here as well – a cod, a hake, a sea bass and many others are cooked in dozens of variations. Don’t miss the chance to try marmitako – a traditional fishermen dish, made from tuna and vegetables, and a cod in pil-pil sauce.
![Bilbao]( "Bilbao")
The Basques love sea eel spawns, which they add fried in pinchos, omelets, and salads. White tuna is also popular. It is added to the marmitako soup together with pepper, potato, onion, and tomato. This delicacy is only taken with a pole during the warm season. A unique fish for the Basque Country is cabracho, that is mostly used in desserts. The Basques also like shrimps, lobsters, and calamari. Among the vegetables they prefer potato, pepper and tomatoes. By the way, the slices of potato, added in the tortilla, are really thin, and that affects the flavor of the dish. Definitely try cheese, made of goat milk. Due to the large sheep population, this product is quite common.
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There is a wide choice of desserts in the Basque Country. If you plan to lose some weight, don’t go to the bakery. It’s quite difficult to resist such an enormous choice of sweets. The most common are the desserts, made of puff pastry with chocolate. A traditional alcohol drink for the Basque Country is cider. Chacoli – a young dry wine – is also a popular drink. Pacharan – a drink of at least 25% strength, made on the basis of blackthorn, will please you with its unusual taste. Riochia wine from Alva province also deserves multiple tastings.
Basque Country - guide chapters
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When started talking about the culture of eating in the Basques Country, it is necessary to mention pinchos. Tapas, a type of appetizer, served with wine in all the bars and restaurants in Spain, are hugely recognized, becoming almost the gastronomic and social center of the region. The thing is, the pinchos are not just food for the Basques. Though in the classic sense, this type of snack is considered to be an appetizer before the main course, most locals, as well as tourists, has it for dinner or lunch. Well, why should you really choose just one place and wait for your food, when you can visit two, three, or even four-five restaurants, each of which will have their own type of pinchos?
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The Basques love sea eel spawns, which they add fried in pinchos, omelets, and salads. White tuna is also popular. It is added to the marmitako soup together with pepper, potato, onion, and tomato. This delicacy is only taken with a pole during the warm season. A unique fish for the Basque Country is cabracho, that is mostly used in desserts. The Basques also like shrimps, lobsters, and calamari. Among the vegetables they prefer potato, pepper and tomatoes. By the way, the slices of potato, added in the tortilla, are really thin, and that affects the flavor of the dish. Definitely try cheese, made of goat milk. Due to the large sheep population, this product is quite common.
