You can't talk about the food of the Basques without mentioning their best-known contribution to the global gastronomic lexicon: pintxos (pinchos in Spanish), which is their unique and highly addictive take on tapas.
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Basque bites: A selection of modern pintxos served in San Sebastian. |
The idea is simple but brilliant: a slice of baguette-style bread topped with savory morsels and pierced with a long slender cocktail stick to hold it all together (a pintxo literally means a spike). The toppings can range from straightforward tidbits — slivers of ham or cheese or maybe even a wedge of Spanish omelet — to cooked morsels of considerable sophistication. They may be as small and dainty as party finger foods or substantial enough to make a wholesome snack.
The world capital of pintxos has to be San Sebastian, specifically the grid of narrow, pedestrian-only streets that cross the old city close to the fishing port. We have spent many a happy lunchtime and evening there, moving from one bar to the next, sampling the delicacies arrayed on the counter and then moving on for another bite down the street.
The drinks of choice are wine — either sharp, fizzy txakoli or the local red, txikito, or beer (zurito in Basque), although lightly alcoholic cider (sidra) is sometimes served.
In recent years, pintxos bars have caught on outside of Spain, but not, surprisingly, in Tokyo. Several attempts have been made (most notably the exciting new-wave creations of Pintxos Beppo, sadly no longer in operation), though none have stayed the course.
To give us an idea of what this city is missing, Txoko in Nishi-Azabu offers a small but very well constructed selection of pintxos, both a la carte and as part of its set menu. Two favorites: a single shrimp set on cream cheese and drizzled with homemade alioli mayonnaise; and one that's spread with pisto, a delectable mixture of red pepper, onion and eggplant, cooked down in ratatouille style.
[First published in the Japan Times Friday, June 5, 2009. Here]
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