Tolosaldea: we visit the Basque region known for its good food
Tolosaldea: we visit the Basque region known for its good food
Tolosaldea is one of the most interesting and visited regions of the Basque Country, with culture and gastronomy being its two main drivers of attraction. Much of its cultural heritage is intangible and can be enjoyed by participating in the many events, feasts, and festivals of its 28 municipalities.
The region also has two important museums: Topic and Ur Mara. The first is the International Puppet Center of Tolosa, the only comprehensive center in Europe dedicated to the art of puppetry. Ur Mara, on the other hand, is an experimental space located in natural surroundings, designed by the multifaceted artist Koldobika Jauregi. In addition to exhibiting a collection of sculptures by Jauregi, Ur Mara is a place of reflection in which themes such as ecology, ethnography, nature, philosophy, and poetry are touched upon.
In terms of its cuisine, this region is home to some of the most important products and ingredients used in Basque cooking, such as chili peppers from Ibarra, beans from Tolosa, cheese with the Idiazabal Designation of Origin, cider with the Euskal Sagardoa Designation of Origin, txakoli with the Getariako Txakolina Designation of Origin, and a famous array of pastries, with “Tejas” and “Cigarrillos” (two traditional, cookie-like pastries) from Casa Eceiza and “Gorrotxas” (a round, flaky pastry) by Rafa Gorrotxategi standing out. Retail shops which sell these delicacies are of great importance in this region.
In Tolosaldea, you can enjoy numerous other gastronomic experiences: learn how txakoli is made at the Hika and Inazio Urruzola wineries, make sweets at the Rafa Gorrotxategi artisanal shop and visit the museum while you are there, spend a whole day herding goats and making cheese, or visit the Urdapilleta pig farm to learn firsthand about how the local Euskal Txerria breed lives (a breed which was about to become extinct at one time).
As for fine dining, Ama, Bailara, Hika, Casa Julián, Iriarte, and Nicolás are the spearheads of the Tolosaldea culinary ecosystem. Chefs Javi Rivero and Gorka Rico of Ama have received the Revelation Chef Award at the 2023 Madrid Fusión conference, as well as one Repsol Sun. Located in the elegant Iriarte Jauregia Hotel of Bidania-Goiatz, the Bailara Restaurant, headed by well-known chef Enrique Fleischmann, has been included in the Michelin Guide and has been recognized with a Repsol Sun. The team led by Roberto Ruiz at Hika takes full advantage of the intricacies of Basque cuisine –beans from Tolosa prepared just like in the olden days in an antique wood-fired stove, fish, and grilled steaks are the protagonists– and they have been awarded two Repsol Suns. Casa Julián was included on the list of establishments with the best steak in the world, being one of the historic roast houses of Tolosa and, under the direction of Xabi Gorrotxategi, it was awarded a Repsol Sun. The Iriarte Restaurant of Berrobi, headed up by Félix Belaunzaran and recommended by the Repsol Guide, pays tribute to cuisine featuring local and seasonal ingredients, its star dish being the roast suckling pig – raised just a few meters from the restaurant at the family farm. Lastly, Xabi Ruiz is the third generation of the Ruiz family to run Casa Nicolás, which is famous for serving top-quality steaks. That obsession with delighting diners with supreme quality –a concept common to all the establishments mentioned– is what has brought Tolosaldea to excel in everything related to good eating.
Tolosaldea
