Pintxos / Pinchos

Yes, please

Pintxos are famous throughout Spain though they are originally from the northern regions. Our whole trip to San Sebastian was actually inspired by my love of Spanish food so it was to no surprise that pintxos were heavily featured during our trip.

Although similar to tapas, pintxos are a bit more substantial and are usually ordered separately from drinks. The Basque word comes from the Spanish word "pincho" which is literally spike, giving reference to a toothpick. A toothpick is commonly used to keep ingredients from falling off the bread, as well as to keep track of the number of items that the customer has eaten.at some places differently priced pinchos have toothpicks of different shapes or sizes.

I've got to admit, the first time we went into a bar I was completely overwhelmed. There were over 50 different pintxos with a bewildering amount of ingredients, many of which I did not recognize. Complicating matters further, the area is not only known for its seafood but also its delicious meats. This meant that I was severely overfed for each of the nights we were out! But that is not a bad problem to have...