EVENTO: Cider´s season in the Basque Country

In January, the Astigarraga cider season starts. As the ritual says, the “kupelak” are opened for the “probaketa” (to taste) while everybody shout “txotx!”, following all approach there for tasting the cider and they comment their opinion about the new harvest.

It is a tradition that was started in the gastronomy society times, the cooks etc approached to the cider house to taste the new cider, and ones it was selected, it was bottled for the year consumption. It was normal to bring some dishes of food to help the cider, after, it became a custom to combine the cider with delicious menus as cod omelette, fried cod with pepper, roasted chop, nuts, cheese and quince.

The experts think that this year the cider it is going to have higher rating, taste and smell that in the last years. The high temperatures of the last summer it was noteworthy in the apple, being smaller the harvest, but more elevates sugar levels. As conclusion, we can taste this year a nice and aromatic cider, with a rating near 7.