Take a Zingerman’s Food Tour to the Basque Country
An incredible gift for a travel lover who loves to eat!
Although few Americans know it, Basque culture is the oldest in Europe. It has a longer, richer, more complex history than any other culture on the continent. As Mark Kurlansky, author of the fantastic book The Basque History of the World, writes, “They are a mythical people, almost an imagined people.” To that I’ll add “mysterious and inspiring.” For me, the Basque Country is an ideal destination—an incredible culinary culture and a long anarchist tradition to boot! For most people, the combination of great eating, great art, great history, incredible scenery, a hint of Hemingway, and a whole lot of wonderful regionally produced wines makes a visit like this pretty unbeatable.
It also happens to have some of the best food on the planet! In The New York Times travel section, Caitlin Raux Gunther wrote this about culinary culture in the Basque Country:
Food forms the fabric of local life. Eating well is a priority throughout Spain’s northern autonomous community, and seems, to some local chefs, even more so now. The region is an endless feast. Culinary destinations beckon.
When you take this terrific week-long trip with Food Tours Managing Partner Kristie Brablec and crew, you will immediately gain access to some of those amazing but hard-to-access culinary destinations. The ones you and I would almost certainly miss when we go on our own, but with Kristie and crew’s years of research and planning, make it onto the list of places this small group of culinary explorers will stop!
What’s on the Tour list? The full itinerary is here, but these are a few of the highlights that caught my attention:
- Taking a specially arranged cooking class at the Central Market of Bilbao to prepare Pintxos (the very traditional and very popular Basque version of tapas)
- Visiting a winery and its vineyards, where the uniquely Basque Txakoli wine is made
- Heading to an award-winning sheep creamery for a lesson on a special style of Basque cheese-making
- Eating in some of the restaurants in the Basque Country
- Learning the history of sheepdogs and the basics of Basque sheep herding
- Tasting special Basque hard ciders
- Learning about the widely revered black beans of the town of Tolosa—they’re so good that people order them from all over, and the new-crop beans sell out quickly almost every year
- Take in the beauty of the coastline and the magical enormity of the mountains.
- Taste some of the best fish—both fresh and tinned—you’ll find anywhere
If you’re trying to think of a gift that will make 2026 unforgettable in the best possible way, a seat or two on this ama-Zing Food Tour is an ideal way to go! Head into a local shop to buy a Basque beret, say hi to Jai Alai, ponder some traditional pintxos, enjoy some of the freshest fish you’ll ever have, and so much more!
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