In recent years Spain has gained reputation in culinary circles for groundbreaking and innovative food. None of that has reached the Camino yet. Be prepared for very basic, traditional Basque fresh-cooked meals with healthy and very fresh ingredients, and for the most part tasty and filling. But nothing fancy.
What may be lacking in exceptional food is easily gained in the outstanding wines served with even the simplest meal. El Camino leads through four wine districts, each with its distinct wines: Navarre, Rioja, Berzio, and Mencia – in that order walking from east to west. They are all exceedingly good and win prizes all the time in worldwide competitions. The region has its own red grape variety, Tempranillo, now grown and imitated in other parts of the world for producing wine with full body, deep color, weak acidity, medium to strong tannins, and fruit and berry flavors and aromas. All thanks to good soil, strong sun on very warm summer days, and cool nights (due to the elevation).
What may be lacking in exceptional food is easily gained in the outstanding wines served with even the simplest meal. El Camino leads through four wine districts, each with its distinct wines: Navarre, Rioja, Berzio, and Mencia – in that order walking from east to west. They are all exceedingly good and win prizes all the time in worldwide competitions. The region has its own red grape variety, Tempranillo, now grown and imitated in other parts of the world for producing wine with full body, deep color, weak acidity, medium to strong tannins, and fruit and berry flavors and aromas. All thanks to good soil, strong sun on very warm summer days, and cool nights (due to the elevation).
The Spaniards are not known for their breakfasts and the Basque country is no exception. It is most often just one cup of coffee with a croissant or a few slices of toasted bread with butter and marmalade. Lunch is usually limited to tapas, which is not much, but can sometimes be a reduced variation of the evening’s dinner. Food in noticeable amount is definitely limited to dinner.
The pilgrim looking for nutrition in breakfast and energy for the long distance ahead therefore has a problem, unless the albergue has a kitchen and one has the energy to get up early enough to pack the backpack, cook what was bought the day before, and eat before the mandatory evacuation at 8 o’clock.
Lunch rarely becomes more than a few snacks bought in a kiosk or bar along the trail.
Dinner (Menu del Peregrino (Pilgrim's Dinner) and Menu del Dia (Menu of the Day)) are clearly the day’s main meal – even if one had the light version for lunch. In Mediterranean tradition it is served late – often as late as 9 P.M., which can be a problem if one’s hostel has lights-out at 10 o’clock (which all municipal hostels have).
But dinners are good – all three meals. Appetizer is normally a large salad, melon with ham, or soup. The gazpacho, lentil or cabbage soups are made from scratch, fresh and excellent. The main course is typically a choice between beef, pork, rabbit, chicken or fish (trout or salmon). Always fresh, plenty and tasty. But as the food is neither groundbreaking nor innovative, French fries are the only thing the people in the kitchen know to add, and they are everywhere. Mountains of them and a bit trivial as the Camino walk gets longer. Desserts are most often a fruit bowl or ice cream served in its factory plastic cup.
Dinners are amazingly inexpensive and may for many often be the one thing that saves the day. The Menu del del Europe , and not in many other parts of the world, can one get a three-course good meal with top quality wine at these prices.
It was interesting to notice that the Spaniards in this region drink red wine chilled and very often as an afternoon refreshment.
