DUDLEY IN THE BASQUE COUNTRY
Chef Dudley Newbery travels to the Basque Country to sample the local food and culture. Dudley joins Arthur Dafis from Llandre, near Aberystwyth, and his San Sebastian born wife, Carolina Sagarmendi on a trip to northern Spain, where they sample the fresh seafood, high quality meats and the welcoming atmosphere.
ABOUT THE BASQUE COUNTRY
BASQUE CUISINE
- Food is perhaps the most central and focal aspect in the everyday life of the Basque people. Recipes have been passed down from generation to generation within a society where both male and female enjoy cooking. Food and eating are the main topic of conversation and, indeed, the Basque people have and old proverb that says: "To know how to eat is to know enough."
- Just as it is throughout the Iberian Peninsular, lunch in the Basque country is the most significant meal of the day. The meal itself is not served until early afternoon and it is viewed as an important social occasion, where family and friends gather to enjoy good food and conversation.
- Basque people have a lot of respect for their food and are proud of their own fresh produce gathered from the land and sea. Mothers pass on recipes to their daughters whilst the men gather in gastronomic dining clubs called txokos (also referred to as sociedades) to flaunt their culinary skills.
- This concept of meeting to cook, eat, drink and talk originated during the mid-nineteenth century. In San Sebastian alone there are over 300 of these clubs in existence today. To be invited to such gatherings is a great honour and is an experience to be savoured and never to be missed should one be so fortunate to be extended an offer.
- Spain is famous for its tapas (pintxos) food culture and the Basque country provides perhaps the finest example of how this custom works. For Basque people it has become almost a daily social ritual for the locals to meet with friends and go from bar to bar to try the varieties of pintxos on offer. Traditional neighbourhoods such as the old quarter of town in Donostia-San Sebastian have streets that are lined with tapas bars meaning that there is enough food for everyone!
DUDLEY
A Teledu Opus production for S4C
A Teledu Opus production for S4C