Gastronomic Tourism in the Basque Country

The Spanish Basque Country is renowned for its scenic landscapes, deeply rooted traditions and rich gastronomy mainly inspired by the abundance of fresh fish, seafood, meat, vegetables and fruits. The best way to introduce you to the richness and variety of dishes, is to follow a route, which will highlight by city the best of the Basque gastronomy.

San Sebastian and its pintxos

San Sebastian is a popular resort on the beautiful Bay of Biscay. It is well known for its two trendy and glamourous beaches, the Playa de la Concha and the Playa de Ondarreta .When in San Sebastian, try the pintxos. It is a small snack, almost the equivalent to the tapa, which was traditionally served pierced with a cocktail stick. There are many pintxos restaurants in San Sebastian and they all have a specialty. Some will be renowned for seafood served a la plancha where you will be tasting succulent prawn skewers (brocheta de gambas) or grilled squids (chipiron a la plancha). Some others will be famous for their surf and turf, a mix between seafood and meat, like the shrimp and chorizo brocheta. You can even find bars and restaurants using techniques from the molecular gastronomy adapted to the pintxos.

Another contender known for the quality and variety of its pintxos: Vitoria

The city of Vitoria has many restaurants and bars which are famous for serving the best pintxos. They are most of the time accompanied with a red wine from the Rioja or the young and white wine Txakolí. The restaurants in the old city are the place to go to and the best time to try and taste the delicacies is during pintxos week, which usually takes place in April or May.

Don’t miss the market day in Gernika and taste the delicious Gernika pepper

Gernika is a town also located on the Bay of Biscay. It is very popular for its market day. Every Monday, more than 300 stalls offering the best products fill the market place. This is where you can taste the Gernika peppers. They have a great flavor and are a staple in the Basque cuisine. They can be served grilled as a tapa or as an accompaniment with a main meal. They are green and you can usually buy them by the dozen. They have the Basque Food Quality Label, guaranteeing their freshness and quality. And not too far away from Gernika are many wineries where you can taste the Txakoli or Chacolí, a very dry and slightly sparkling white wine. The Txakoli is very refreshing and is the perfect partner to seafood, cheeses and pintxos.

Another market not to be missed is the market in Tolosa

The Tolosa beans are the most famous beans in Spain. They even have their own festival. It is a very delicious bean that can be used in many comforting dishes on a chilly day, and of course when making pintxos. There you can also try the chilies of Ibarra, another staple in the Basque cuisine. They are small, yellow peppers with a mild taste. The Idiazabal cheese is also another star of the market. It is a traditional farmhouse cheese made from unpasteurized sheep milk. It has a smoky and nutty flavor.

Bilbao: a gastronomic destination in Spain

The Basque country has about 40 Michelin-starred restaurants, some of them located in the cosmopolitan city of Bilbao. The 1 star restaurants remain affordable and they will be a great opportunity to try some of the best dishes in the Basque gastronomy. Bars and traditional restaurants will serve pintxos and Chacoli wine, but remember to try two of Bilbao specialties: the Bacalao al pil pil, which is a dish made of cod and served with baked potatoes and the Canutillos, which are tasty puff pastry rolls filled with a pastry cream.

The above are just some examples of what to expect on a gastronomic tour of the Basque Country. If you decide to visit this beautiful and vibrant region of Spain, then visit BungalowsClub to choose your accommodation. They have a choice of bungalows, tree-houses and hotels where you will be able to rest and recoup after a day tasting some of the best dishes Spain has to offer.

Image Credits: Tom Page