Tropicana Magazine May-Jun 2018 #118: Winner Takes All

THE COOKBOOK
Basque in the spotlight
The fact that the 2018 installment of the
World’s Best Restaurants Awards on June
19th takes place in Bilbao, Spain speaks
volumes about the Basque region as a
culinary destination.
Located in the north of Spain, Basque
country stretches toward the Bay of Biscay
and encompasses cities such as San Sebastian,
Bilbao, Pamplona and even Biarritz in
France.
San Sebastian – or Donostia as it’s known
in Basque – is a city with a stellar 17 Michelin
stars, more than any other foodie destination
in the world with the exception of Kyoto. In
fact the region, which is celebrated for its
unique culture, language and phenomenal
food, also has the most Michelin-starred
restaurants per capita in the world. To say
Basque cuisine is having a moment in the
limelight would be a gross understatement.
Its climate and geographical location –
along the Bay of Biscay, stretching out across
arid plains in the south towards the western
Pyrenees – are two reasons for its amazing
and abundant produce.
Local fishermen continue to set out to
sea bringing back with them a bounty of cod
(which is salted) and tuna. Inland there are
freshwater fish, seasonal fresh fruits and
vegetables like guindilla peppers from Ibarra
and Tolosa beans, and cured meats like black
pudding and spicy chorizo de Pamplona.
Markets such as San Sebastian’s San
Martín and La Bretxa, which supply some of
the world’s most highly rated restaurants,
should be your first stop on any Basque
culinary journey.
Don’t just stop at pintxos, possibly the
single food item most commonly associated
with the region. Basque food is diverse and
delicious thanks to a rich and varied history
of conquest and immigration, and a brave
approach to creative experimentation.
What to eat
Start with
Pintxos – bite-sized eats served
as tiny open sandwiches held
together with a toothpick and not
for sharing.
Gerezi beltza arno gorriakin – soup
made from cherries in a sweet wine
syrup served with crème fraîche or
ice cream.
Dig into these mains
Bacalao al pil pil – salted Atlantic
cod and garlic cooked in olive oil.
Marmitako – stew of tuna, onions,
potatoes, peppers and tomatoes.
For dessert
Pastel Vasco – crispy sponge cake
with crème pâtissière filling and
fruit such as cherries.
Turron – almond nougat.
Idiazábal cheese – hard aged
cheese made from unpasteurised
goat’s milk.
What to drink
Sidra – naturally fermented
local cider with still and dry
characteristics.
Txakoli – sparkling dry white
wine, highly acidic and best served
chilled as an apéritif.
La Rioja wine.
ADDITIONAL WORDS BY MUNA NOOR
" Basque food is diverse
and delicious thanks
to a rich and varied
history of conquest
and immigration, and
a brave approach
to creative
experimentation."
95 MAY/JUNE 2018 | TM