“Try new things” is what I have to remind myself while being on this trip to San Sebastian. The Pintxo tour, specifically, is coming from an interesting perspective, because I haven’t enjoyed seafood a day in my life. I came on this trip hoping to gain something from it, and this was by far the biggest surprise moment of the trip for me because not only did I eat all the food that was offered to me without fear, but I ended up really liking everything I had the opportunity to try. Despite this, the pintxo tour was most enjoyable because of the atmosphere that surrounded it. People line up for these places, all down the street, and sometimes around the block if you go at the right time.

Seeing how eager people were to eat these bite-sized pintxos shows how delicious these simple dishes can be. You go in, find a spot near the bar, and order the pintxo already displayed in front of you. You can get it with a drink or without, and simply leave the plate when you’re finished. In every bar we visited on this tour, the people were friendly, the bars were lively, and the food was incredible. We started off with a classic, “The Hilda”, which was a salty anchovy on a toothpick, combined with small green peppers and an olive. This pintxo was one that I was most afraid of because it is so obviously a fish, but I was pleasantly surprised when I took my bite of the hilda and really enjoyed it. The texture and the combination of flavors are an incredible combination for something so simple. We then went on to taste several other pintxos. Everything from the classic Jamón Iberico to goat cheese and pig’s ear, octopus and calamari, and even black pudding and salt cod. Each of these delicate dishes had such a unique and distinct flavor that it can be seen as different than traditional seafood or pork. Food is treated with such value here in the Basque Country, and that is part of what makes the ability to try these foods so special.

I have only been in San Sebastian for a few days, so I am sure I will be surprised by many other things on this trip, but if one thing will define my time here in the Basque city of San Sebastian, it will be the pinxo tasting. This encouraged me to try things I’ve never even heard of in my life, and it will send me back home enjoying seafood and food in general much more than I did before my time here on this study abroad. The bars here in the city and the people that surround them and keep them running set a great example for others that pintxos are more than just food, but a way of life for the Basque people here. Although it might be the most basic of foods that I tried on this day, I think the cheesecake was the best way you could end the tour. The combination of all the delicious, salty food you had while going from bar to bar, then topping it off with some Txocoli or cheesecake and eating it with an ocean view, is really a cherry on top of this incredible experience in San Sebastian.