99 Pintxos – And I made one!

Does everyone perform better under pressure? I know I do. I can turn a plodding 5km into a personal best at a Park Run. And I leave no stone unturned when creating award entries, always aware that other teams will be crafting an entry to beat all others.

So, imagine being a Pintxos Chef in San Sebastian, the food capital of the Basque Region.

What’s in a Pintxos?

Translated as “spike” or “skewer”, Pintxos are small bite sized snacks offered in cafes and bars throughout the Basque region. It’s traditional to order one or a few before moving on to another venue for more tasty snacks.

The Gilda

Pintxos became a thing in the 1940’s when the "Gilda" pintxo was invented in the 1940s at bar Casa Vallés in San Sebastián by a regular customer named Joaquín Aramburu. The pintxo, made with olives, pickled guindilla peppers, and anchovies held together by a tooth pick was named after the 1946 film Gilda because the fiery character of the same name was seen as spicy, salty, and a little bitter, much like the pintxo itself. Bar Casa Vallés began serving them to guests soon after.

Room for creativity

There are many different types of pintxos. Ranging from the classic cold bites often served on a small slice of bread and held together with a toothpick, through to seafood, meat, vegetable, cheese and modern gourmet Pintxos such as a Ravioli filled with king prawn in a Martini sauce or Veal cheek stewed in red wine or a creamy oxtail ravioli.

99 Pintxos

So, what has a small tasty Basque snack got to do with awards? Well, the San Sebastian 99 pintxos is a list of the best pintxos in the city. A team of 11 Michelin-starred chefs in the Gipuzkoa province (where San Sebastian is located) vote anonymously for their favourite pintxos and also suggested additional ones. It is an honour to be named on the list. And high achievers aim for having more than one Pintxos on it. Bars with multiple entries include:

·         La Cuchara de San Telmo: Features the Foie de Monfort and the Carrillera de ternera guisada al vino tinto.

·         Borda Berri: Known for entries like the Kebab, Ravioli de txipi, and Risotto de Idiazabal.

·         Ganbara: Recommended items include their sautéed mushrooms and baby squid.

·         Gandarias: Multiple recommendations include Solomillo, Hongos a la plancha, and Jamón de Bellota.

·         Casa Urola: Entries include the Vieira, Pulpo con papada, and Hojaldre de Idiazabal y hongos. 

Hot competition

If you take your Pintxos seriously, then you’ll know which bars have caught the judges’ eyes. It makes commercial sense too. Both for the bars and for the region itself, as foodies head to San Sebastion for the Pintxos pilgrimage. I think that this pressure is good for everyone. It keeps the Pintxos bars on their toes and encourages innovation. And perfection. 

Exporting Pintxos around the world

I was lucky enough to find myself on a Pintxos masterclass. We made the Gilda, stuffed piquillo peppers. Potato tortilla and a classic burnt Basque cheesecake. Pintxo chefs have little room. And need to turn out these bite sized masterpieces in minutes. I took my time and enjoyed the local cider!

Salt baked Cod.

Stuffed pequillo peppers

A happy Man!