BBC reports from inside a Basque 'txoko'

Once again, Basque gastronomy comes under the spotlight from international press. The city of San Sebastian in particular, so often the subject of features for its higher than average number of Michelin stars, was recently unveiled as a hub of yet another Basque culinary tradition - that of the ''txokos'' or gastronomic societies.

As part of its reports on unusual culinary customs from around the world, BBC cameras delved into the heart of one of Donostia-San Sebastian''s oldest txokos Unión Artesana, which dates back to 1870.&' || 'nbsp; The report takes viewers directly into - where else - the kitchen, to find out what makes txokos so unusual: As Unión Artesana member Txuno Echaniz explains, ''all club members are men so logically men are the cooks here''. These days, women are allowed to enter societies but, says Txuno, ''in the kitchen, only members can cook''.

Formed by groups of friends or, more often than not, ''craftsmen and intellectuals getting together to share thoughts, opinions and ideas'', the txokos are perhaps unusual for another reason. Says another Unión Artesana member: ''You speak about everything but you have respect for everybody. Outside the society, you don''t have either the same degree of respect or the same freedom.''