Bilbao: The capital of flavour and gastronomic excellence

If you would like to discover Bilbao; the best way is to sample some of its best dishes! In fact, food is a form of art in this city; its inhabitants are enormously proud of their culinary tradition.

Wandering through the streets of Bilbao, you are surrounded by a mixture of history and modernity; as well as a healthy selection of bars and restaurants. There is an abundance of high quality establishments across the city that serve up the very best dishes that the region has to offer.

Pintxos: A Basque snack, similar to tapas; pintxos normally consist of a piece of fresh bread topped with a range of different ingredients such as (ham, cheese, fish, vegetables, olives, eggs, sauces). Above all, pintxos are creative and well-presented. The term ´pintxo´ is used owing to the fact that the vast majority of these snacks are pierced by a small stick. It is customary in the Basque Country to pass by several bars throughout the evening, enjoying delicious pintxos and quality wine, otherwise known as ´txikiteo´.

Fish: Fish is a cornerstone of Basque cuisine. One of the most celebrated dishes is Cod a la Viscaína, with a sauce of rep pepper, chorizo, onion, garlic and olive oil; an explosion of flavour! There are many seafood options, with squid in its ink being one of the classic and most popular dishes.

Meat and cheeses: Sirloin steaks, fillet steaks and grilled veal and cold cuts are widely available in Bilbao. Cheese is also a regional speciality. Idiazábal is a typical cheese from the Basque Country, it is a very flavourful sheep’s cheese.

Drinks: Thanks to the world leading viticulture in the nearby La Rioja region, Bilbao´s wine is always of the highest standard. Txakoli is a Basque classic, a fruity white wine. La sidra, a regional apple cider, is another local favourite.
Altogether, the combination of incredible food and drinks makes for an incredible gastronomic experience.

Desserts: Along with the traditional savoury dishes, you can also enjoy excellent desserts. The most popular of these is called Basque Cake (Pastel Vasco), which originates from the French part of the wider Basque region. The cake is made of of relatively simple ingredients, often filled with vanilla cream and sometimes fruit. It is always decorated with the Basque cross. Churros are also widely available, a popular snack across Spain and Latin America. These fried snacks, made from a doughnut like base, are often accompanied by a cup of warm chocolate. These are just a few of the diverse selection of sweet dishes available in the Basque Country!

If you would like to immerse yourself in the Basque culture and cuisine whilst learning Spanish, you should look no further than Instituto Hemingway!

We organise cultural activities related with gastronomy such as: wine tasting, pintxos tours, tortilla and paella cooking classes. All of the activities are free for our students.
In addition, if you are interested in learning more advanced culinary techniques we have 10 hour culinary arts courses, with our professional chef. You can combine culinary arts courses with Spanish courses.

If you would like more information, send us an email here: info@institutohemingway.com