TOP 10 of the best Basque products
Our TOP 10 of the best Basque products
Pastries, charcuterie, olive oil...discover the best products and specialties of the Basque region across its 7 provinces.
Basque cake
The Basque Country is a land of tradition, but we don't think that necessarily means freezing its expression. This Basque recipe combines a shortcrust pastry that is both crispy and soft with a filling, traditionally made with pastry cream or Itxassou black cherry jam. This crispy shortcrust pastry pairs wonderfully with the freshness of the fruit.
Indeed, Basque cakes can also be revisited with gourmet variations such as pineapple coconut, blackcurrant lemongrass, chocolate, caramel with fleur de sel... If like us you like fruity cakes, don't hesitate, these Basque cakes are for you!
Espelette pepper
The Red Gold of the Basque Country has benefited from an extraordinary media scene through various culinary shows all over the world. Benefiting from a PDO, this Basque product has become an essential part of our kitchens.
Axoa
Axoa is a traditional Basque recipe from the province of Labourd / Lapurdi made with veal and sweet Anglet pepper. The ideal is to choose an axoa whose meat has been thinly sliced with a knife rather than minced in a mechanical grinder. Of course, Axoa is spiced up with Espelette pepper.
Kintoa Ham
This grand cru ham comes from the breeding and processing of Basque Kintoa pigs according to the rules of the AOC. Each Kintoa ham is rubbed by hand with a subtle blend of salt from Salies de Béarn and spices including the famous Espelette pepper. Its slow maturation in the winds of the Basque mountains of the Aldudes valley patiently produces a remarkable Kintoa ham with a characteristic aroma.
Bayonne Chocolate
Its arrival in the southern Basque Country in the 16th century and then in the north in the 17th century undoubtedly made Bayonne the city of chocolate on the French side. It seems that originally, the typicality of Bayonne chocolate was linked to a chocolate with more than 70% cocoa and the majority use of beans from Ecuador.
Irouleguy wine
The Basque wine is probably the best known in France. The only Basque wine in the northern Basque country to have a controlled designation of origin, Irouleguy is available in red, white and rosé wine; the majority of production is red Irouleguy. The grape varieties used are Tanat, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon for the reds and rosés; as for the white Irouleguy, they are produced with the Petit Corbu, Corbu, Petit Manseng and Gros Manseng grape varieties.
On the southern side, the wines of Navarre, Txakoli and other Riojas complete the list of Basque wines with a controlled designation of origin.
The Patxaran
Patxaran is a liqueur made from wild sloes macerated in anisette. Mainly produced in the southern Basque Country, there is also a more limited production in the northern Basque Country. Patxaran is consumed chilled. You can place the bottle of patxaran in the refrigerator beforehand or chill the glass with ice cubes. We do not recommend tasting patxaran with ice cubes, which would have the effect of diluting the patxaran but above all of masking certain aromas.
Olive oil
Olive oil has been produced in the south of the Basque Country since the mid-18th century. In the Basque provinces of Navarre – Nafarroa and Alava – Araba, a variety of olive specific to the Basque Country is grown, the Arroniz. This native variety, perfectly adapted to the Basque terroir, is characterized by an intense fruitiness with aromas reminiscent of truffle and liquorice.
Basque Cider
The Basque Country benefits from a microclimate conducive to apple growing. Sagardoa or Sagardo, "Apple Wine", has been produced there since ancient times. Basque sailors are said to have introduced it to Norman sailors. Often discredited because it is too often associated only with sagardo and its very strong character, which pleases or displeases, Basque cider holds its own against many regional ciders that are spontaneously more highly valued.
Basque artisanal ciders are made with local apple varieties: Anisa (the anise apple, pleasant to bite into), Ondomotxa, Eztika, Peatxa and Peatxa-Gogorra, Mamula, Txakala, Mutur, Eri Sagara, Gordin Xuria…
Piquillo Peppers
Just like the Espelette pepper, it is often called “red gold” or “Urre Goria” in Basque. The piquillo pepper or pimiento piquillo is an indigenous crop from Navarre under the name Piquillos de Lodosa. Pimiento del Piquillo de Lodosa is grown in the southern Basque Country, in the municipality that bears its name, Lodosa, and in the neighboring municipalities Andosilla, Azagra, Cárcar, Lerín, Mendavia, San Adrián and Sartaguda.
