The culinary tradition of the Basque Country is recognized throughout France and Spain for its quality and sophistication. It is almost as old as the people who developed it; its origins have accordingly been lost in the mists of time.

Basque cooking, is more than a technique; it is about celebrating the art of preparing food.

It is a cuisine influenced by the sea and the mountains, especially the former which has always been an important part of the Basque lifestyle. Indeed, the preparation of fish in their myriad forms dominates the cooking traditions of the coastal towns. Discover the TTORO, a dish which resembles both a stew and fish soup, and the MARMITAKO prepared from tuna, tomatoes, potatoes, pepper, garlic and onions.

Further inland the local cuisine takes on a more agricultural and pastoral quality. Pork and lamb are the basis for a large number of country dishes. Taste the ZIKORO, often mistakenly compared to the lamb roasts of North Africa but in fact a subtle mixture of lamb cooked over a wood fire and accompanied by haricot beans in a rich sauce whose ingredients are kept 'secret'.

For dessert, usually following a ewe's cheese called (ARDI GASNA) which the Basques eat with their bare fingers, try the soft Basque cake, filled with almond paste or cherry jam: it is one of the unmissable culinary delights of the Basque Country.