Basque Cuisine: Part II

While in San Sebastian, we day tripped over to French Basque Country. En route to the train station we passed a small farmers market setting up for the day. There were several elderly ladies gathered around a woman selling cow’s milk cheese. We figured that if all of the old people were excited about this cheese then it had to be good. We ordered “un cuarto,” and the vendor cut us a slice from the whole cheese, wrapped it in wax paper, and placed her farm’s sticker on the package. It was written in the Basque language, Euskera, so I have no idea what it says, but it lived up to our expectations.

After we arrived at our destination, Saint-Jean-de-Luz, our first stops was the market hall. One of the bars inside was selling six oysters with glasses of local Jurançon white wine. They weren’t served with ketchup, horseradish, and hot sauce like in New Orleans, or even with mignonette sauce. The hardcore oyster eaters were eating them plain, but I bought a lemon from the produce stand across from the bar. I think it was my first time trying non-Gulf oysters, and they were much larger and brinier but still delicious.



We also tried some delicious French macarons from Maison Adam. The shop has been around since 1660, and they claim that they served these macarons at the wedding of Louis XIV, which took place in St. Jean-de-Luz.



To be honest, I never understood the current obsession with these cookies until I went to this place. Their macarons were buttery, chewy, and full of almond flavor. They’re made with marcona almonds so maybe that’s why they’re so good.