Donostia-San Sebastián. The National Geographic magazine this week published an interesting report on cider houses and the cider tradition in the Basque Country: yesterday in its original English edition, and today in the Spanish one. The title in America is "Basque Country 's Cider Houses Keep an Ancient History Alive," which is the literally in Spanish: "Las sidrerías del País Vasco mantienen viva una historia antigua"
The article is by gastronomic journalist Annelise Jolley who begins it like this: “With more Michelin stars per capita than any city on Earth, San Sebastián is the gastronomic center of Spain, and possibly the world. And the world has taken notice. In recent years the city’s famous pintxo bars (a Basque spin on tapas) have grown increasingly popular with tourists. Local food tours steer groups away from Old Town, the cramped neighborhood that swells to bursting during the evening rush. But San Sebastián’s culinary heritage includes a potent, older attraction: cider".
The report reviews the Basque history of cider, going back to pre-Roman times, warns that the sagardotegias (sic) or cider houses are the ideal place to enjoy this product, and points out that they constitute an excellent alternative to the busy pintxo routes. She mentions that Basque ships that sailed the ocean in past centuries bound for America loaded with barrels of cider, also the txotx season, the cider menu and even some Basque-style cider houses that exist in the United States, the result of visits from Americans who, after tasting the whole Basque cider house experience and being fascinated by that experience, decided to share it with their compatriots. She also refers to the annual Sagardotegi organized by the Oinkari Basque Dancers in Boise, recreating this typical tradition of the “Old Country.”
She doesn´t mention the Basque Argentine cider, but that's another story.
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