Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Spanish Basque Cuisine:
Hopping from bar to bar sampling
pintxos
—the local
term for tapas—is a highlight of any trip (for details, see the sidebar on
here
). Local
brews include
sidra
(hard apple cider) and
txakolí
(cha-koh-LEE, a light, sparkling white
wine—often theatrically poured from high above the glass for aeration). You'll want to
sample the famous
pil-pil,
made from emulsifying the skin of
bacalao
(dried, salted cod)
intoamayonnaise-like substancewithchiliandgarlic.Anothertastydishis
kokotxas,
usu-
allymadefromhake
(merluza)
fishcheeks,preparedlike
pil-pil,
andcookedslowlyovera
low heat so the natural gelatin is released, turning it into a wonderful sauce—
¡qué bueno!
Look also for white asparagus from Navarra. Wine-wise, I prefer the reds and rosés from
Navarra. Finish your dinner with
cuajada,
a yogurt-like, creamy milk dessert that's some-
times served with honey and nuts. Another specialty, found throughout Spain, is
mem-
brillo,
asweetand
muy
densequincejelly.Tryitwithcheeseforalightdessert,orlookfor
it at breakfast.
ComparedtotheirSpanishcousinsacrosstheborder,theFrenchBasquesseemFrenchfirst
and Basque second. You'll see less Euskara writing here than in Spain, but these destina-
tions have their own special spice, mingling Basque and French influences with beautiful
rolling countryside and gorgeous beaches.
Just 45 minutes apart by car, San Sebastián and St-Jean-de-Luz bridge the Spanish
andFrenchBasqueregions.Betweenthemyou'llfindthefunctionaltownsofIrún(Spain)
and Hendaye (France), and the delightful hill town of Hondarribia, which is worth a visit
My favorite home base here is the central, comfy, and manageable resort village
of St-Jean-de-Luz. It's a stone's throw to Bayonne (with its “big-city” bustle and good
Basque museum) and the snazzy beach town of Biarritz. A drive inland rewards you with
a panoply of adorable French Basque villages. And St-Jean-de-Luz is a relaxing place to
“come home” to, with its mellow ambience, fine strolling atmosphere, and good restaur-
ants.
St-Jean-de-Luz (san zhahn-duh-looz) sits cradled between its small port and gentle bay.
The days when whaling, cod fishing, and pirating made it wealthy are long gone, but
don't expect a cute Basque backwater. Tourism has become the economic mainstay, and
