The anchovy swims smoothly into the gills when it is washed down with a sip of lightly fruity Txakoli, the Basque country’s own white wine.
In past decades, local products were not much valued.
Today we travel long distances after Basque pintxos and San Sebastian’s pintxos are the best in the area.
Prefer to read in Finnish? Continue here:
Baskimaan parhaat pintxot löytyvät San Sebastianista.
We arrive in San Sebastian, or rather Donostia in the Basque language, by bus from the south of France.
Finding accommodation seems almost impossible.
September is still the holiday season in Europe, but when we arrive in the Basque Country it’s already the end of September.
Luckily, we manage to grab a room in a wonderful apartment converted into a hotel.
When we arrive, we ask the owner if it would be possible to extend the stay.
– It is not, he replies regretfully.
Film festivals are going on in the city.
Well, of course, I should have remembered them. Ismo hasn’t worked as a film critic for a couple of years, so how could he remember such little events anymore…
We won’t have time to get tickets for the festival either, but that’s okay, we have come to the city for the food. Like many others.
The Basque Country has established itself as a mecca for culinary tourists.
We arrive in Donostia at the time of the pintxo festivals. Since there was no accommodation available for more than one night, we had to get our pintxos immediately.
Difficult to swallow food in a bar with a difficult name
We start our pintxo with anchovies.
I hate anchovies.
But since they are “the thing” in Donostia, I have to taste them.
To be honest, we have to rewind a little.
The host of our guesthouse kindly gives us a map for the bars participating in the pintxo festival. We are researching where we would like to go. We don’t have time to go everywhere and couldn’t eat that much.
I draw markings on the map and circle the ones that sound interesting.
According to our customs, each can vote for their own favorites.
One bar mentions that it specializes in anchovy pintxos.
I shriek that anything will do, but let’s skip this please! Ismo doesn’t object, even though he likes anchovies, – after all, Nizza salad is one of his favorite salads – but he recognizes my shivering.
When our map markings are complete, we descend to the street and wander towards the bar area.
It’s totally packed. It’s loud and stuffy.
For an exhausted traveler, the Spanish liveliness is too much, even in the north of the country.
After a day’s bus ride, rest would be tempting, but there is no time for that now.
If only we could choose any place where there is hope of being able to eat at the table.
– Hey, there’s room over there! We stick to the standing table only to find that…
Yep, this is the one from anchovies, Txpepetxa.
Well, my habit is to taste local specialties everywhere, so let’s continue the same way.
Guess what: I really liked these anchovy pintxos!
Is it because here on the Atlantic shore fish is really fresh? Or maybe the Basques just know what they’re doing.
The Basque Country attracts food tourists
San Sebastian is a perfect example of how even a small place can position itself on the world map with the help of culinary tourism.
The Basque Country has invested considerably in the development of food tourism and especially in its marketing.
A city does not necessarily need wow-architecture or disneylands to arouse the interest of those looking for new travel destinations.
Although Bilbao did that first, food was enough for Donostia.
Travelers are looking for authentic experiences and local food offers them, experiences for all the senses.
Visuals, smells, tastes, as well as good moments and memories – for all senses.
Authenticity, originality, something you can’t get anywhere else.
Donostia also attracts people other than foodies.
The Atlantic waves here are favorable for surfers. It’s really fun to watch folks in wetsuits walking towards the beach, carrying surfboards under their arms, among the townspeople.
Long-distance wanderers lust for San Sebastian pintxos
Due to overcrowding, we decide not to do a bigger tour. Let’s stay here where we have a place at the table.
We already eat enough in Txpepetxa, but when the neighboring place looks reasonably spacious, we decide to linger there.
If we had traveled overland, and through a few detours from Rome to Donostia, we were by no means the only pintxo pilgrims.
In the neighboring bar, we start chatting with some French youngsters. These Parisians tell us that every year they drive more than 800 kilometers (in one direction), just to come and eat in Donostia.
– As if you couldn’t get good food from France.
This is how much San Sebastian delicacies are valued.
Pintxos can be found all over the Basque Country, but in our opinion, the best ones are found in San Sebastian.
As the dining hatches close, we return to our inn to get a good sleep.
Pintxos for breakfast – why not?
In the morning, we have to say to our regret that that was it.
We take a look at Booking.com’s offerings once again, nada.
Donostia remains a place for a short stop and it’s time to continue our journey.
But of course, you don’t have to leave the city without eating.
Pintxos are generally enjoyed as an aperitif, but you can also eat them at other times. Whenever you wish, actually.
These snacks can be used for the whole dinner, eat as many as you wish.
No one prevents you from eating pintxos for breakfast if they are available on the counter.
The offerings at the Mendi Berri counter, located around the corner of our hotel, look attractive.
The sun is shining warmly. We sit on the terrace and enjoy our last pintxos in Donostia.
Fortunately, not the last ones in the Basque Country, as our journey continues towards the delicacies of Pamplona.
What is pintxo?
Everyone knows Spanish tapas, but pintxo, at least as a term, is not as well known.
However, it is almost the same thing. There are also a few differences.
While tapas can basically be any small portion, pintxo has a wooden stick as an essential part. (Nowadays it can also be made of plastic.)
The pintxo’s name also comes from this stick, whose purpose is to keep the portion together: Usually the toppings on top of a piece of bread.
Otherwise, pintxo or tapas can be one and the same dish, the name can vary from region to region or from restaurant to restaurant.
However, a real pintxo always contains a stick, as the name suggests.
Sometimes a pintxo is just pieces of meat, fish, or vegetables on a skewer. Bread is therefore not necessary, but a stick is.
In addition to holding the portion together, the stick has another meaning: Pintxos are ordered at the table or picked up from the counter one at a time.
Your pintxo sticks are your bill
When it comes time for the bill, the waiter counts the sticks and charges you for what you have eaten based on them.
Bites may have different prices and therefore plastic sticks are also preferred. The color of the stick determines the unit price, sometimes also its size or shape.
The pricing principle is a glass of wine and one pintxo.
Alcohol is not consumed without a bite, and originally a piece of bread also served as a cover to protect the drink from insects.
Not a bad idea these days either.
Although pintxos may not have had this purpose as tapas literally did.
Pintxos in San Sebastian usually contain fish, especially anchovies.
In addition to fish, roe and seafood, various sausages and other meat are popular ingredients for pintxos.
They are often combined with egg and vegetables, usually roasted paprika (bellpepper).
A glass of drink and one pintxo usually costs between one and a few euros.
P.S. Traveling somewhere else in Spain? Continue to read our other posts from Spain here.
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