Cider Season

This note appeared at EITb:

Life

Rooted in tradition

Cider Season opened in the Basque Country

01/13/2008

Radio Euskadi journalist Javier Vizcaino opened Sunday morning the cider season in the Basque town of Hernani.

Radio Euskadi journalist Javier Vizcaino opened Sunday morning the cider season. In the next three months, hundreds of people will flock to the cider houses to drink this year’s cider and taste the traditional menu.

Cider houses are usually caserios - or country houses- mostly located in Gipuzkoa, which have facilities for the preparation and bottling of cider, and a space for the "kupelas" (barrels) and long tables where patrons can taste the specialities (cod omelette, fried cod with green peppers, and barbecued steak).

The season begins in January and finishes mid-April. During these months, it has become a tradition for the Basque people to come to these cider temples to practice the "txotx" ritual, which is extremely beautiful and peculiar: the owner of the cider house chooses a kupela (barrel) and he yells out "txotx", thus inviting all those attending to taste the cider. Consumption of cider is unlimited.

.... ... .