The Basque Country

Gentle green hills dotted with farmhouses, a stunningly beautiful rocky coastline, an ancient language, strong Basque identity, and arguably the best food in Spain.

When it comes to food, the Basque Country seems to have it all. There are scores of Michelin Star restaurants, born from the Basque response to France’s nouvelle cuisine in the 1970s. The culture of culinary innovation has spread across Spain since then, but the Basque Country is still the heart of modern Spanish food. All of that creativity had to come from somewhere, though, and here it is the richness of ingredients and recipes. The Basque countryside offers wild-caught Atlantic fish, foraged mushrooms, dry-aged beef, sheep’s milk cheese, fresh vegetables, and artisan cider and the local white wine Txakoli. The quality ingredients are everywhere here, not just in the manicured dining rooms of starred restaurants. Pintxos bars (Basque tapas bars) compete to have the best and most creative tapas. Seaside restaurants serve the best grilled fish you’ll ever have, and in the hamlets of the countryside, simple recipes shine with the flavors of the hills. This is the only part of Spain with cooking clubs where members use professional kitchens to cook for each other and their friends, and where the kitchen is often larger than the club. Even economical midday menus in the cities will surprise you with the purity of flavor in their dishes. We know you can eat all the Michelin star meals you could want in the Basque Country. But trust me: you won’t want many because the food everywhere you go is so good. I say eat like the Basques do: traditional food made with great products sourced and produced in Euskadi, in bars and restaurants and cooking clubs. Then you’ll understand what all the fuss has been about.