Cider House Rules - Txotx!!

January is the start of cider season here in Gipuzkoa, the part of the Basque region where we live. There are are many Sidrerias (cider houses) close by. With the cider season opening (and lasting until the end of April) we decided to head to Sagardoetxea, the Basque Cider Museum, and a cider house in nearby Astigarra.

On Sunday, January 28, we took the bus with our 19-year old German classmate, Lisa, to the museum for a tour in Spanish. A lovely couple on vacation from Zaragoza joined us for the tour. We learned that the apples for cider are not picked off the trees but are collected after they drop onto the ground to ensure maximum ripeness. Basque cider is different from the cider you may be used to in the US. Here it is made from fermented apple juice with no added sugar and no other carbonic gas, other than what is produced in the process itself. The taste is less sweet and more bitter with an alcohol content of about 4.5%.

As part of the tour we tasted two ciders, an apple juice and two apple cider liqueurs. The tasting also gave us the opportunity to practice collecting cider directly from a barrel, a skill we would need for the cider house.

After the museum tour we walked to Alorrenea to taste cider and eat lunch. Traditionally cider houses would allow buyers to taste cider from different barrels before choosing the one they liked best. To fend off the effects of drinking on an empty stomach, customers would bring along terracotta dishes containing prepared food, plus rib chops to grill at the cider house. This tradition is now reflected in the customary cider house menu: bread, cod omelette, fried cod with peppers, rib eye steak, and cheese with walnuts and quince – all washed down with cider.

Lunch was a communal experience. The food is served family style and you eat without a plate. Although this custom led to a collective pause from our newly acquainted group, we all dived right in and enjoyed the meal. The Basques know how to cook and eat and they do not mess around when it comes to steak.

As you know from a prior post, txuleta is served fairly rare by US standards. We’ve come to really appreciate this style of cooking. Although it is a bit strange to eat without a plate, at least we had a table and benches to sit on – in some cider houses you eat standing up!!

As for the cider, there are “rules” to be followed when el sidrero (the cider master/host) calls out “txotx,” which means a particular barrel is being opened for a taste. Everyone lines up with an empty glass in front of the barrel and puts their glass directly into the stream of cider that is pouring out from the barrel like a fountain. You hold your glass tilted so that the cider breaks on one of the wall of the glass and foams up. This way you aerate the cider and can enjoy the fresh aromas. You only fill the glass about three fingers high. You taste/drink your cider while standing before returning to the table or waiting for the next call of “txotx” at another barrel.

It is a little tough not to get your sleeves wet and not to allow any cider to hit the floor as you get your pour directly following the person in front of you. It is also not the easiest photo to take!

Overall it was a delicious and fun experience that we highly recommend – although not as much for vegetarians.

Cheers,

Shana & Jeff

PS – the lovely couple from Zaragoza and our tour guide thought Lisa was our daughter (LOL!).