Made in Basque"
The choice will be conditioned above all by your place of visit! If it is Bayonne, the capital of the Basque Country is also the capital of chocolate. It will therefore be a beginning marked by sweet treats: Daranatz, Adam, Paries, Cazenave, Txokola, Raux... On the savory side, you will find the Houses of Montauzer, Oteiza, Aubard, Ibaialde or Sébastien Zozaya, Meilleur Ouvrier de France. In addition to the delicacies, the "Made in Basque" region is full of a multitude of skills and craftsmen, never short of advice. Are you looking for a stone sculptor, an upholsterer-decorator, a painting restorer, an antique clock repairer or an art binder? Few regions have as many craftsmen in all possible fields. The know-how is intergenerational. From the Makilas factory to the Poésie du Verre, from Basque fabrics and linen to cutlers and creators of exceptional stained glass. Biarritz, Bidart, Guéthary, Saint-Jean-de-Luz, Hendaye, and others are also breeding grounds for craftsmen. Not a street without a " Made in Basque Country ", a slogan that is here a state of mind. The Basque know-how resists (for the moment) to globalization and to charms from elsewhere and to low cost, but for how long? It is the consumer-actor who will have the power to decide.
Specialties by Province
On the Soule side, precisely in Mauléon, it is the kingdom of the espadrille with its 2 000 years of history which innovates while respecting the artisanal manufacture. Let's not forget the producers of cheese and salt products.
In Basse-Navarre, , an even more agricultural territory, there are villages dedicated to crafts such as Labastide-Clairence, Bidache, Saint-Palais, Bidarray, without forgetting the "Village des Artisans" in Ossès where you can visit the Goicoechea potteries which have been making terracotta pottery for four generations and which are highly prized by international decorators and interior designers, the Domaine Brana distillery which produces brandy and gin with Corsican clementine, the espadrilles Don Quichosse, sandal maker for three generations, the Arnabar farm, producer of foie gras and duck terrines, the Kaiku Borda farm cooperative, labeled Idoki, Aldabia, a poultry farm in the Basque Country, the Laia chocolate factory. Not to mention the wine producers of the Irouléguy PDO, one of the smallest vineyard producers in France, the only one in the French Basque Country.
On the Labourd side, the Espelette pepper is originally a plant imported from Mexico in the 16th century. Initially used for medicinal purposes, it quickly became a garland covering the facades, but above all a spice cultivated in the family gardens. AOC since 2008, then PDO, with nearly 200 producers, the pepper can be presented in three forms: whole and fresh, in strings of 20 to 100 peppers or in powder. Today, no grocery store, no store does not offer chili in all possible variations: powder, jelly, mustard ... to accompany fish, meat and even chocolate! The list would be incomplete if we did not mention the tannery, the perfumes and the pearls of artisanal manufacture.
Leather work
In the Basque Country, there is an ancestral tradition and a large number of artisanal companies related to leather (tannery, leather goods, saddlery). We can mention the Carriat tannery, specialized in the production of luxury leather, the Garat tannery with a natural and vegetable tanning, Erro Maroquinerie, the Laffargue leather goods, which since 1890 in Saint-Jean-de-Luz, manufactures bags, wallets, belts... in very beautiful leatherworks. The Arano leather goods also, the saddlers Euskal8 or the Manufactoum workshop.
Espadrilles
They are mainly manufactured in Mauléon-Licharre, capital of Soule. It is indeed in this city that the manufacture of espadrilles began, at first by hand, but very quickly in an industrial rhythm. Today, as with the Basque beret, it is fashionable to wear espadrilles of all colors, adopted by the great designers.
Breweries and cider houses
They are not an epiphenomenon, but a major economic reality in the Basque Country, which has seen the emergence over the last decade of a large number of craft breweries, each with its own secret method. The local bottled beer with variations made on the spot, from natural elements, without GMO nor additive... Each one brews its own recipes with great care. The cider, which is a historical drink, has its letters of nobility with notably Topa cider, elaborated from 12 varieties of apples of the Basque Country.
Honey and honey derivatives
With more than 80 professional and amateur beekeepers in the Basque Country, honey is particularly well represented in the many markets and stores. It is an excellent complement to accompany a sauce or to brush on meat and fish. Recognized for its numerous therapeutic virtues, it is, in the same way as Espelette pepper, the product that one must absolutely take in one's basket.
Other specialties..
Did you know that pearls are also made in the Basque Country? In Ascain to be precise, with the Simon et Simon factory which has existed since 1865. Heirs to this long French tradition of manufacturing imitation pearls made from natural mother-of-pearl extracts, they are official suppliers to major fashion houses such as Christian Dior and Chanel. Nathalie Simon (4th generation), ensures today the continuity of this ancestral know-how in her workshop-boutique in Ascain.
Perfumes are not to be outdone, with notably the perfumes and scents of master perfumer Christian Louis. A creator trained in Grasse, he is a true free electron who constantly creates, flagrances such as bergamot from Italy, Iris from Tuscany or Sandalwood. You can find his store in Espelette and Bayonne, but also Place des Vosges in Paris...
Fabrics and canvases are another great specialty of the Basque Country, with striped canvases, tablecloths and other brightly colored confections. Beautiful factories, often ancestral, propose a great choice of Basque linen made by craftsmen.
In summary
The basket will always be incomplete unless you take a container! Know that today, the vast majority of artisans and stores have a website to place orders directly from your home and thus have them delivered directly to your home. In any case, the best way to avoid forgetting anything is to come back for new pleasurable and greedy purchases.
