Although it is not originally Basque, chocolate is a product with a long tradition in the Basque Country. Especially in municipalities such as Tolosa, where the Gorrotxategi family has been a benchmark in the world of chocolate since the seventeenth century. Also, in Onati, you can find the Chocolate Interpretation Center “Txolateixia” where you can find documents testifying to their presence since the eighteenth century or “mendaro” where we can visit one of the oldest chocolate factories in the Basque Country.

This chocolate tradition is still more alive than ever with initiatives such as the BasqueTxok Festival in Balmseda promoted by the Kaitxo brand to highlight Bean to bar chocolate. With this Anglicism that literally means “from bean to tablet”, reference is made to the totally handmade process of certain chocolates, in such a way that the entire production process is carried out and controlled in the same workshop, from the roasting of the grain to the tempering of the chocolate.

It is a process that allows the cocoa to be fully extracted from the bean, preserving its organoleptic properties and enhancing the flavour and aroma. It is therefore a process that prioritizes the quality of the chocolate over the quantity of production.

 

More info:

www.euskadigastronomika.eus

turismo.euskadi.eus/es/top-viajes/con-sabor-a-chocolate/

kaitxo.com/hablando-de-chocolate-que-es-el-bean-to-bar/