FAMOUS GASTRONOMY
Biscay | Guipuzcoa | Alava | Navarre | French Basque Country
Basque cuisine is considered one of the finest in the world. One could even say without exaggeration that it comes in third after French and Chinese cuisine. Despite the high levels of sophistication, refinement, and imagination that haute Basque cuisine has reached in recent times, traditional Basque cuisine is not a complex or excessively elaborated cuisine, but rather a relatively simple cuisine with strong popular roots. It bases its exquisiteness in the quality of its products (meats, fish, vegetables, and seafood), and in the expertise of a people for which gastronomy reaches religious levels.
The various regions of the Basque Country have their own gastronomic peculiarities, which enrich Basque cuisine with their contributions. We cannot speak of Basque cuisine without mentioning the importance of cider houses and "txokos" (gastronomic societies) in our country.
Cider houses are very important in the Basque Country, especially in Guipuzcoa, where there is the greatest tradition. Basque cider has a slightly higher acidity that that of Asturias, and is also more sparkling and fragrant. It is traditional to drink it with cod omelette, beef chops, and cheese with walnuts.
Txokos are gastronomic societies in which men get together to cook and share their preparations with the other members. They are a clear example of the love of this ancestral people for everything related to gastronomy.