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***image1***San Sebastian should be hailed as the culinary capital of Spain. It is a city where food is a delight and never a duty and eating six meals a day is completely normal.
San Sebastian, or Donostia by its Basque name, is the place to be for anyone who wants to delight their gastronomical impulses. In this wonderfully warm Basque city, the sport of enjoying food is perfectly paired by the enjoyment of the shared company.
The best place in San Sebastian to enjoy the culture and company is Old Town. Every other doorway in this part of the city leads into yet another bar or restaurant. Since it is the custom to go from one bar to another, eating and meeting friends, all the establishments seem to be well supported by the local economy. At the start
of the evening, each bar fills its counters full of freshly made tapas or pinxtos. The multi-leveled plates full of treats are a visual and literal feast.
The word “tapas” means “cover” and it comes from the time when people would use a plate to cover their drink to keep bugs and crumbs out. Order a glass of the house red wine with your tapas; it will be a perfect compliment. Or try the strong and bright Basque cider that often gushes from a dispenser shaped like a man’s arm, bearing the maker’s name, “Barkaiztegi.”
The custom is for each customer to keep track of how many tapas and drinks they consume and when they are ready to depart for the next bar, they are trusted by the bartenders to be honest, tally up and pay.
Act like the locals and squelch your mother’s voice in your head – toss your wadded napkins on the floor.
The tapas alone are worth the trip to San Sebastian. Try a small plate of fabulously famous spicy potato cubes called patatas bravas, or literally translated, “brave potato.”
Local seafood makes its presence felt, seen and tasted. Manchego cheese is delicious on bread paired with shrimp or serrano ham. Red peppers with anchovies
alternating on a toothpick, mouth-watering garlic shrimp skewered to a baguette round, and piles of golden brown fried ham croquettes are some tapas that must be tried.
For the adventurous eater, try the local specialty of squid cooked in its own ink. Its unique taste is only topped by the amusing fact that it absolutely turns your tongue black for a few hours.
There is much to see and do in this coastal city that is has been the vacation home of the Spanish nobility for hundreds of years. However, the crown jewel of San Sebastian is its food and famous hospitality. Taste and see that San Sebastian is good!
For more information on San Sebastian, Spain, visit www.sansebastianspain.info/.
