La costa de Gipuzkoa, elegida por la Unesco por «sus espectaculares acantilados»

La costa de Gipuzkoa fue incluida hoy en la lista de geoparques de la Unesco, durante la reunión mantenida en la isla de Lesbos (Grecia), informó hoy la organización con sede en París.
En la Conferencia Europea de Geoparques, la Mesa de la Red Mundial aprobó la incorporación de once nuevos sitios pertenecientes a nueve países, además de la parte guipuzcoana de la costa vasca, con lo que esa lista se compone ahora de un total de 77 geoparques en 24 países.
«Patrimonio geológico, natural y cultural»
El geoparque vasco es "un testimonio de una relación única en su género entre el patrimonio geológico, el natural y el cultural", destacó en un comunicado la Organización de Naciones Unidas para la Educación, la Ciencia y la Cultura (Unesco).
"Los espectaculares acantilados costeros y las plataformas de abrasión de esta zona del litoral del Mar Cantábrico están enmarcados en un paisaje montañoso con elevaciones de más de 1.000 metros de altura", recordó la Unesco.
La organización destacó además «la larga historia cultural de este sitio» y mencionó «las pinturas rupestres, los utensilios chamánicos y la magnífica iglesia gótica de Santa María la Real de la localidad de Deba».
Otros sitios añadidos a la lista
Los otros sitios añadidos a la lista mundial son la meseta kárstica de Dong Van, en la provincia de Ha Giang (Vietnam); la Isla de Jeju (República de Corea); Leye-Fengshan y Ningde (China); Cilento y Valle de Diano (Campania, Italia); Rokua, Ostrobotnia del Norte y Kainuu (Finlandia) y San-in Kaigan (Honshu, Japón).
Además, se incorporan como geoparques mundiales los de Stonehammer (Nueva Brunswick, en Canadá); el Parque Minero Toscano (Italia) y el de Vikos-Aoos (Janina, en Grecia).
La Red Mundial de Geoparques Nacionales se creó en 2004, bajo los auspicios de la Unesco, para fomentar la cooperación entre las distintas partes interesadas en el patrimonio geológico.
Aspirantes
Los sitios que aspiran a la denominación de geoparques deben poseer un patrimonio geológico de excepcional importancia por su calidad científica, su rareza, su valor estético o su interés educativo.
Además, un geoparque, recordó la Unesco, "tiene que disponer de una sólida estructura de gestión y, además, su superficie debe estar bien delimitada y ser lo suficientemente extensa como para garantizar el desarrollo sostenible del sitio, en particular mediante el fomento del geoturismo".
En la red ya están sitios como la isla de Langkawi, donde se puede observar la formación rocosa más antigua de Malasia, el bosque petrificado de la isla de Lesbos (Grecia) o los cráteres volcánicos del sitio de Vulkaneifel (Alemania).

Getaria remembers Elkano

On 7th August, the Basque fishing-village of Getaria remembers their favourite son with a re-enactment of his return to Spain.

Statue of Juan Sebastian Elkano. Photo: Wikipedia

On 6th September 1522, Juan Sebastián Elcano sailed into Sanlúcar de Barrameda (Cádiz) on completing the first ever voyage around the world. He arrived starving, barefoot and clothed in rags together with 18 of the more than 200 sailors who 1,124 days before had embarked from Seville at the service of Ferdinand Magellan.

On 7th August 2009, the inhabitants of Getaria will pay homage once again to their distinguished son with an accurate performance of the landing. Every four years since 1922 the small port is packed full of people who come from all around to watch the dirty-looking Elcano disembark from the Nao Victoria along with 18 sailors. All of them come carrying candles and walk to the church to give thanks to the Virgin for their safe passage home.

After getting dressed up, the actors recreate the moment in which Elcano presented himself before the emperor Carlos I who, back in 1522, recognised the heroic deed by granting the explorer a coat of arms. Following the act, the inhabitants of Getaria sing an ode in honour of Elcano.

The historic performance takes place every four years as part of the San Salvador timetable of festivities. The day is not complete without the medieval fair, which, from the morning onwards, helps create a mood and atmosphere that makes way for the 'arrival' of Juan Sebastián Elcano in the afternoon.

This year is especially significant, since the town of Getaria celebrates the 800th anniversary of its foundation. In order to give even more bearing to the event, this year organisers have hired a replica of the ship Victoria, which will be open to visitors.

Cheese making: Idiazabal and Ordizia

Cheese making has prevailed along the years in the Basque traditions giving a well-known name to some towns such as Idiazabal and Ordizia.

The vast number of megalithic monuments scattered through the Basque countryside (dolmens, cromlechs, etc.) offer us signs of the ancient practice of livestock herding.

Shepherds tended native “Latxa” sheep throughout the year, grazing them in the highest, coolest fields in summer and the best-sheltered fields in winter. The milk they gave was made into a ball of semisolid milk, the beginnings of what today is a superb cheese.

After several centuries of evolution and with the help of modern technology to ensure proper hygiene, Basque sheepherders continue to make excellent cheeses, the quality of which has now transcended the valleys of its birthplace.

Idiazabal, the seat of a long Goierri valley stretching from Alava and Navarra to Gipuzkoa, lends its generic name to a DO product (denominación de origin mark of authenticity and control).

The milk that goes into Idiazabal DO cheeses comes from Basque sheep, although not always from Gipuzkoan. Today milk from Bizkaia, Alava and Navarra is also used to make Idiazabal cheese. Only “Latxa” sheep’s milk can be used in the Idiazabal DO, making creamy cheeses with hints of hazelnut, walnut and the unique flavor of the milk itself.

The best products are taken to compete for prizes in cheese competitions held throughout the valley: Idiazabal (May), Ordizia (June) and Zegama (November). But the Idiazabal DO’s crowning event, drawing crowds, important cheese tasters and the media, takes place in Ordizia in September with the so-called “Euskal Jaiak” (Basque fiesta). The festival and cheese contest has now become a tourist event.

Foodista.copm link for idiazabal Cheese:

Mus, a Basque cultural heritage,Basque card game

It can be said, no doubt, that the Mus is the most popular cards game, not only in the Basque Country, but in Spain as well and in all the places where Basques traveled.

Mus is a popular of Basque origin. It is unusual in that although its mechanics- drawing cards and then betting on who has the best hand- are reminiscent of gambling games like Poker, Mus is a partnership game which does not need to be (and usually is not) played for money.

Mus is actually quite quick and straightforward to play, with a lot of scope for bluff and jokes.

Mus is a game for 4 players in fixed partnerships; as usual you sit opposite your partner. It is played anticlockwise. The standard 40 card Spanish pack is used. The suits are swords, batons, cups and coins, and each suit consisting of Rey (R), Caballo (C), Sota (S), 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, Ace (A). The Rey (or King) 12 on the card, the Caballo is numbered 11, and the Sota is numbered 10. In the game of Mus the suits have no significance. Also the 3's are equivalent to kings and the 2's are equivalent to aces. So for the purposes of Mus the pack effectively consists of eight kings (Rey), four each of Caballo, Sota, 7, 6, 5 and 4, and eight aces.

Each game is won by the first team to reach 40 points (this will usually take several hands). Normally the best of three games is played, so the overall winners are the first team to win two games. The points are counted using small stones. Points are scored for having the best hand of cards in each of four categories: Grande (high), Chica (low), Pares (pairs) and Juego (game).

Players can try to increase the points scored for any category by betting. The betting on each category is taken in strict order, and only after all four betting rounds are complete is there a showdown where the hands of the players are compared and the points calculated.

A hand is the period of play from the deal, through the four rounds of betting and the showdown to the final scoring. A game consists of however many hands it takes until one team reaches 40 points, and the match consists of two or three games, the side which wins two games winning the match.

There are many mus tournaments everywhere in the Basque country along the year, as well as in the Basque centers worldwide.

Baby squids in Getaria

Getaria is the most characteristic fishing port in Gipuzkoa. Its narrow streets hold all the charm visitors are after, and its port is a kaleidoscope of images, lights, colours and smells.

The fishing fleet processed, although a large part of the labor of the "arrantzales" (fishermen) ends up on the grills and in the kitchens of some of the top restaurants in the Basque Country.

Grill houses line the streets but, in fact, the local speciality is the mouth-watering combination of freshly caught chipirones (baby squids) and onions, a dish known as "chipirones pelayo". The recipe has spread throughout the Basque Country, and is considered one of the true masterpieces of our cuisine. Needless to say, it should be accompanied by a glass of "Txakoli" wine, also from the town of Getaria.

Stuffed baby squids in ink sauce

Ingredients (3 servings):

24 small baby squid (best caught on a hook), 3 large onions, 2 small tomatoes, 1 green pepper, 4 cloves garlic, 2 sprigs parsley, oil and salt.

For the filling:

squid fins and arms, 1 onion, 1 clove of garlic, a bit of chopped parsley, oil and salt.

Separate the head and the arms from the body. Remove the pen and the outer and inner membrane. Wash thoroughly. Cut the fins off and chop them up. The innards will come out when removing the head and arms. Very carefully remove the ink sac before discarding the innards. Dissolve the ink sac in a glass of water. Remove and discard the mouth and eyes and wash the squid again. Chop up the arms and add them to the diced fins.

Follow the same procedure for each squid. Dice the onion, garlic and parsley. Add them to the chopped up squid fins and arms and sauté the mixture in a bit of oil. Let cool. Use this mixture to fill the baby squid bodies, being careful not to stuff them too full as they will shrink while cooking. Fasten the end of each squid with a toothpick to keep the filling from falling out.

Put an earthenware casserole and with the burner on low slowly sauté the garlic, tomatoes, green pepper and parsley in the oil. After a while turn up the heat and add the baby squid. Let them cook for a few minutes until they brown a little. Add the dissolved ink, season and lower the heat to a simmer.

When the squid are tender (but not overly soft), remove them from the vegetable mixture. Press the mixture through a food mill. This dish can be accompanied by white rice or croutons.

Gastronomic societies

Popular gastronomic societies keep alive culinary orthodoxy and without them it would be difficult to understand the social influence of contemporary Basque cuisine.

Txoko. Photo: atlasrural.com

Gastronomic societies, known as "txokos" in Bizkaia, are a local phenomenon. These are private clubs with a relaxed atmosphere where the members share a dining room and kitchen in which they prepare traditional lunches and dinners.

The oldest societies are strictly for men only, although the more recent ones accept both men and women members. There is one rule still in force according to which women can not cook or do the cleaning after the lunch or dinner. Any man or woman can enter the society but only if he comes with a member of the member.

Some gastronomic societies have stricter rules than others. Most of them choose among the members a president, a treasurer and some more important positions. Members hold periodical meetings in which they fix the rules, so even if the rules in each society are very similar, it is possible to find some rules different or odd.

Apart from the traditional gastronomy societies, there are also some other "txokos" which are not owned by a group of people but by an only person. They are usually placed on the ground floor of a house or isolated in some estates in the country. An individual person and his relatives own this place a meeting place for friends and relatives.

Cider and its rituals

Cider is the most popular drink in Gipuzkoa. January marks the inauguration of the cider season with the opening of the cider houses.

Cider is the most popular drink in Gipuzkoa. This apple beverage may look innocent enough but its alcohol content has been known to sneak up you. It is preferably consumed within a year from its production.

The Tolosa region and particularly the town of Astigarraga and vicinity (near Donostia-San Sebastian) are a bastion of the longstanding Gipuzkoan tradition of cider making.

The process begins with a discriminating selection of apples, which are then put into a tolare (cider press). After they are crushed and pressed, the juice is poured into kupelas (wooden barrels). The juice is then fermented for about three months, when it is ready for drinking.

To enjoy cider at its best, it should be served between 13 and 15ºC. It is bottled in dark green bottles to keep the light from getting through and spoiling the fragile liquid. To serve, it is poured into a glass from a distance of 30 o 40 centimeters so that bubbles are formed as it splashes against the side of the glass, bringing out its full flavor. It is said that cider should be drunk quickly, and never left to sit in the glass too long.

The rituals of cider

January marks the inauguration of the cider season. The cider houses open their doors, beginning with the ritual probaketa, or taste test to see whether the cider is ready. A small stick called a txiri is used to poke a tiny hole in the barrel, and out comes the first trickle of cider.

Cider is typically accompanied by a traditional meal comprising a cod omelet, a thick charcoal broiled T-bone steak or some sort of fish prepared in sauce. Cheese and walnuts are the perfect way to finish off an evening at the cider house.