In the north of Spain you eat very well. Those who have gone on vacation have surely dedicated part of their time to tasting the traditional dishes of the different communities, which delight us with high-quality cuisine. As we already know, the gastronomy is part of the tourist attraction in the Basque Country, so today we will talk about the well-known Basque pinchos or 'pintxos', to be more correct.
Those who plan to visit the Basque Country must know in advance what we mean by the pintxo culture, because it is a whole world to discover. These delicious little bites can become quite a vice and a way to discover hundreds of flavors of the north, so we have to know all the details, from what they are to where we can find them.
What are Basque pintxos
The pinchos or pintxos we know them in almost all of Spain, and it is that they have become almost an institution in our country and there is no drink that is not accompanied by these appetizers. But just as in some areas they are very simple and typical bites, there are places where the culture of the pincho goes much further, with typical delicacies of the gastronomy of the area and flavors mixed in small delicious bites that are tasted from a local to another. Skewers in the Basque Country are not just an accompaniment to drinks, they are a way to taste its gastronomy in small demonstrations. They are so called because they are usually pierced with a large toothpick, although today many are like small plates.
How to go for skewers
Going out to bars for pintxos is called 'txikiteo' and it refers to that popular sport of going from bar to bar, trying some pinchos while having a drink. In the bars of the Basque Country, we will be surprised by the amount of pinchos displayed on the bar, which are cold pintxos, which can be served at the moment. In some bars there are menus to order hot pintxos that are prepared at the moment, which are usually a little more expensive. Depending on the bar they can be taken in different ways. In some there are plates at the beginning of the bar to take the pintxos that we want and pay for it at the end and in others we order the pintxos at the same time we order our drink. The advice is not to have many pintxos in the first bar we see just because we all find them delicious, since that will happen to us in other bars. In general, they usually take one or two and go to the next bar. We will see that the skewers can go from the most normal to haute cuisine ideas.
Where to have the pintxos
The truth is that in any town or city in the Basque Country it is possible to find a bar where they serve delicious pintxos, but there are two places that are especially important in this regard and that we should not miss visiting. On one side is the old town of the city of San Sebastián and on the other, the neighborhood of the marina in Hondarribia. On the other hand, today we may coincide in a time when a skewer contest is held, something very common, where bars compete to create the tastiest and most popular skewer.
Some Basque pinchos
When we go to the bars and see the display of skewers we will realize the variety we have to choose. From the traditional Spanish omelette, which you can never miss to the most elaborate bites. Some you have to try are those made with mushrooms or mushrooms, such as boletus croquettes. The skewers in which pepper or anchovies are added are also very typical, with all kinds of mixtures and flavors.
Among the skewers there is a classic like skewer called 'La Gilda', which is made with green chillies, anchovies, and green olives, all poked on a toothpick on a slice of bread. The 'Txaka' is another staple of the Basque Country. It is made with grated crab sticks and mixed with mayonnaise, to which is added cooked and grated egg white. Finally, it is served on a piece of bread and the yolk, also grated, is placed on top. All this should be seasoned to taste. As we are talking about a community with a lot of coastline, there is also tradition in fish dishes, so we will find skewers such as cod croquettes or cod with mushrooms. The latter is a small cod loin without bones in a piece of bread on which the mushrooms are already sautéed and cooked to taste. And these are just some of the many pintxos that we can find on our trip to the Basque Country. Enjoy your meal!