Basque Pintxos
My fascination with pintxos (PEEN-chos) began back in college when I convinced my sociology professor that Basque immigrants maintain their identity thanks to a little slice of meat or cheese placed on a slice of bread and stuck together with a toothpick. It was a far fetched idea at the time, but after weeks of researching Basque food and culture, both in Basque country and around the world, I was convinced… and so was my professor (at least I hope). I wrote a 20-page term paper about Basque food and identity, and after having read about the delicious flavors, the bar hopping, and the people, I was persuadedthat I must to go to Basque country.
I finally found myself in San Sebastian, right in the heart of Basque gastronomy, over the winter holidays. My little pension that I stayed in was right across from numerous bars that all served their versions of pintxos. Traditionally pintxos are slices of bread served with some sort of delicious topping, and stuck together with a toothpick (they’re kind of like the French canapé except bigger and with a stick). They are then placed on the bar with little labels describing their topping. They are generally consumed by gangs of friends partaking in a daily pubcrawl or txikiteo, and who respect the honor system by paying for their consumation based on the pile of dirty toothpicks they’ve created. The pintxos I saw (and ate) went from basic Basque cheeses and hams, to slices of Spanish tortillas (a sort of egg and potato omelette) and stuffed bell peppers, to deep fried seafood.
And, of course, you can’t forget about the drinks – served in little glasses to match the miniature-sized food. Basque country is known for it’s cider which is refreshing and crisp, but a little sour. I tried the Saizar sidre, as well as a basic white wine called txakoli, which is also crisp and slighting effervescent.
wow you make it sound so elegant