What to eat en Espagne - Navarre/Pays Basque/Rioja? culinary specialties and gastronomy

Many Basque products benefit from protected designations. Vegetables include the green Ibarra pepper, grown in Guipúzcoa, preserved in wine vinegar and served in pintxos. Alternatively, the Guernica bell pepper is a local variety grown in the province of Vizcaya. It is served fried as an aperitif or garnish. Tolosa and Guernica beans, garnet-colored, are used in many local recipes and are eaten mainly in winter. The Alava potato is used in many stews. Milk-fed lamb from the Basque Country is of the native Latxa and Carranzana breeds. It is prized for its tender, juicy flesh.

In Navarre, there's the pimiento de piquillo de Lodosa, a small red bell pepper grown in Navarre's Ribera Baja region, and theartichoke from Tudela, used in many local recipes. Last but not least, thewhite asparagus of Navarre, which has been awarded a Denomination of Origin (D.O.C.), is highly prized. Grown on the banks of the Ebro river, it is used in the preparation of hake in green sauce. In the Rioja region, pocha beans, large white beans produced in the region, are omnipresent in these recipes. Finally, freshwater fishing throughout the region provides a highly prized fish, trout.

In terms of eating habits, Spaniards have a long lunch break and stay out quite late, usually dining informally around 9pm, nibbling a few tapas together. Breakfast(desayuno) runs from 8am to 10am, lunch(almuerzo or comida) from 1:30pm to 3:30pm and dinner(cena) starts at 9pm.

A local version of tapas, pintxos are characteristic of the region. They're usually served on bread and studded with a toothpick. Of course, there are many new versions appearing in pintxo bars every day. However, this surge of modernity doesn't mean that local traditions are forgotten, and are more alive than ever. Such is the case of the famous gastronomic societies whose members meet periodically to share a meal in the intimacy of a txoko, a place that could be mistaken for a restaurant, but which is reserved for brotherhoods. In Navarre, peñas are the local equivalent of txoko, although they are not as popular as in the Basque Country.

Many pintxos take the form of small slices of bread topped with crushed fish (tuna, sardines, etc.), shrimps, anchovies, eels, but also raw or cooked ham. The Basque Country and Navarre are not the most famous regions of Spain for their charcuterie, and while Bayonne ham is a French speciality, the Basque side of Spain offers excellent jamón, salcichon, lomo and chorizo. Pulpo pinchose is an octopus-based pintxo grilled in oil, while chistorra y padron is bread with spicy sausage and chili pepper. Other pintxos includegilda on a toothpick with anchovies, pickled pepper and olives, or morcilla cocida (grilled black pudding), cod omelette (tortilla de bacalao), croquetas(croquettes) of potato (papas), cheese (queso ) and ham (jamón ). The kokotxas de merluza or hake chin is cooked in a thick sauce with lots of garlic. Cheeses are also popular pintxos , such asidiazabal or roncal, made from sheep's milk and produced in Navarre, or camerano from Rioja. These three cheeses are similar in taste toossau-iraty, produced in the French Basque region.

After the pintxos, which are enjoyed as an aperitif - although they can also be a meal in themselves - there are a number of main courses featuring fish, meat or vegetables. As in many southern European countries, cod is of major importance, especially in the Basque Country. One example is bacalao al ajoarriero, a typical dish from Navarre and the Basque Country, where the fish is slow-cooked in a tomato, garlic, bell pepper and olive oil preparation. Alternatively, bacalao al pil pil is typical of the Basque Country, made with cod in a very garlicky chili sauce. Bacalao a la vizcaína is known for its Biscayan sauce made with Espelette peppers, garlic, tomatoes and bread croutons.

Of course, there are other fish dishes like marmitako (literally " from the pot " in Basque) made with bonito del norte (white tuna), simmered with potatoes, onions, peppers and tomatoes. A similar dish is bonito a la riojana, a tuna stew with tomato sauce. And let's not forget the famous merluza en salsa verde, a specialty of the Basque Country and Navarre. The flavor of this dish lies in its green sauce, made with garlic, fish stock, white wine, parsley and tarragon. In the Basque Country, a variation known as "a la koxkera" incorporates clams into the recipe. In both cases, the dish is accompanied by white asparagus from Navarre and hard-boiled eggs. Lubina a la donostiarra, or San Sebastian-style sea bass, is cooked with potatoes in a garlicky sauce. On the river side, enjoy trucha a la navarra, a recipe for grilled trout stuffed with diced cured ham. And let's not forget seafood with alcachofas con almejas a la navarra, clams with artichokes in a garlic sauce. To prepare txangurro a la donostiarra (Donostia-style spider crab), the flesh of the crustacean is cooked with onions, tomatoes and leeks, served in the carcass and baked au gratin. The Basque term "txipirones/chipirones " means " squid ", whether grilled, fried or in a sauce with onions and white wine(chipirones a lo pelayo) or in their own ink(chipirones en su tinta).

Chilindrón de cordero, originally from Navarre and Rioja, is a recipe for lamb simmered in a tomato and vegetable sauce. In the Basque Country, it's called txilidron. Alternatively, chuletillas al sarmiento (lamb chops braised on vine shoots) is a typical Rioja dish, enjoyed during popular celebrations such as Logroño's grape harvest festival. Caldereta de cordero (lamb) or conejo (rabbit) is a meat stew with potatoes and tomato, while another stew, pochas con codornices, is made with quail and Rioja white beans. Txuleta, an enormous rib of beef, is served rare in Basque cider houses. Finally,embuchado riojano, the equivalent of andouillette, but with lamb tripe rather than pork.

Huevos carlistas, a typical Navarran dish, are fried eggs covered in béchamel sauce and then breaded in a frying pan. Alternatively, huevos a la riojana are boiled eggs in a chorizo, potato and tomato sauce. Another nourishing specialty is patatas a la riojana, a recipe for potatoes sautéed with chorizo and peppers. Soup options include caparrones, a thick soup of kidney beans and chorizo, or zurrukutuna, an ancestral Basque recipe for garlic soup with cod, Espelette peppers and bread croutons. As a snack, you can also enjoy talo, a thin corn cake often topped with cheese and cold meats.

Among the region's sweets is theahorcadito (literally " little hangman "), a scallop-shaped pastry typical of Santo Domingo de la Calzada (La Rioja). It's a puff pastry filled with almond cream, and is a pilgrim's delight. Another pastry, fardelejo, is a speciality of the municipality of Arnedo (La Rioja), of Arabic origin, in the form of a triangular puff pastry filled with marzipan. Goxua comes from Vitoria, although the dessert is found throughout the Basque Country. It's a sponge cake covered in custard, with a caramelized surface. Another dessert is cuajada, a flan made from curdled sheep's milk, accompanied by sugar, honey or dried fruit. Finally, the astonishing intxaursaltsa is a nut cream with cinnamon from the Basque Country. As in the rest of Spain, coffee - but also hot chocolate - is a serious business, and excellent coffees are available (espresso, cappuccino, americano). Carajillo is a coffee with rum or brandy.

Vines have been cultivated in this region of Spain for thousands of years. 60,000 hectares of vines are dedicated to the production of La Rioja DOC wine, spread along both sides of the Ebro river. This territory - the^3rd largest wine-growing region in the country - covers the lands of La Rioja, but also the province of Álava (Basque Country) and the comarca of Estella Occidentale (Navarre). These predominantly red wines are made from a blend of indigenous grape varieties: tempranillo, grenache noir, mazuelo and graciano. There are several categories: crianza, aged at least 2 years, and Gran Reserva, aged at least 2 years in oak and at least three years in bottle. Among the great estates, Marqués de Riscal and Marqués de Murrieta are probably the most famous. In the Basque Country, txakoli is the emblematic grape variety. This young wine is characterized by a slight acidity. It is usually served chilled as an aperitif or with pintxo. This white wine is produced on the Basque coast, mainly around Getaria and Zarautz, but also in the province of Álava and in Vizcaya. It has an AOC (protected designation of origin). Navarre offers an excellent range of rosé, red and white wines, including the classic Navarra, which is also a DOC wine.

Cider(sagardo in Basque/sidra in Spanish) has been produced along Spain's Atlantic coast since ancient times. The cider factories(sagardotegi in Basque/sidrerías in Spanish), which open their doors from January to April, allow visitors to enjoy the new harvest of cider drawn directly from the kupelas (barrels). The Basque Country is also famous for its beers, many of which are produced in microbreweries. These include Laugar, Olbea, Bidassoa, Olañeta and Býra. And let's not forget patxaran. Consumed since the Middle Ages in Navarre, this sloe liqueur varies between 25 and 30° alcohol. It is drunk as a digestive. It is produced almost exclusively in Navarre, although it is sold throughout Spain. Another digestif, izarra, is a herb and spice liqueur created in 1906.