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Gastronomic societies

LA Times explores San Sebastian's culinary underworld

O.M.

Bypassing the Basque city's much reported Michelin-starred restaurants, one 'Los Angeles Times' reporter joined a friend at the Zubi-Musu gastronomic society, and was pleasantly surprised.

  • View of Donostia-San Sebastian's Concha beach. Photo: EITB

    View of Donostia-San Sebastian's Concha beach. Photo: EITB

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The US press has long been 'au courant' with San Sebastian's much-documented collection of Michelin-starred restaurants (more per square mile than any other city). Lately, however, the international media has also been catching on to the Basque Country's best kept culinary secret: the gastronomic societies, or 'txokos'.

One 'LA Times' journalist was led by the hand to Zubi-Musu, in the Ondarreta district of Donostia-San Sebastian next to the picturesque Concha beach. He describes Zubi-Musu - "a modern ground-floor space in an apartment building" - as "a refuge from the daily grind" where members "enjoy one another's company and indulge in the Basque passion for good food".

As he accurately observes, there is little to rival the food on offer at a 'sociedad'. There is no shortage of gourmet goods, such as foie gras from Iparralde – "the best I've very tasted" - freshly caught Biscay tuna (fished by one of the members) and the classic 'bacalao al pil pil'.

But he also captures the presence of something rarely, if ever found in your Arzaks, Mugaritzs or Berasateguis: A 'bonhomie' and down-to-earth cordiality which are only possible in the intimate surroundings of a 'txoko' (roughly translated as "cozy corner").

The men at this 'sociedad', says the journalist, sang "traditional Basque songs with the spirited sweetness of choirboys", while each member was charged only 16 euros at the end of the night ("quite a bargain for an unforgettable evening.")

Something else that struck the 'LA Times' journalist was the "honor system" of the txokos, which is based on everyone being truthful about the amount of alcohol they have consumed. "If there's a mistake, it's usually because someone was too drunk to remember," says his friend. Testament, perhaps, to two of the sociedades' fundamental qualities: Honesty and high spirits!

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