Etxe Peio : The guaranty of farm to fork produce and proper basque meal

Are you on holiday in the Basque Country and do you fancy tasting all the succulent products of the region, Basque specialities and delicacies for an aperitif?... Here we are in Bayonne and in search of some good food. So, follow me in the Etxe Peio shop where the profusion of the quality products is only equal by the beauty of the shop, in which they are presented! Basque ham, Basque cheese, Basque aperitifs, beers, wines, conserves ... Enough to fill your basket with the Basque Attitude! This is what I have done and I even organised a super aperitif with my friends, back home. Follow me for a 100% Basque shopping experience!

A basque products shop in the heart of bayonne

Here I am, in an Ali Baba’s cavern of ham, cheese and all kind of accompanying food... Here, it is a paradise for the savoury enthusiasts; it is a place full of local products. The Etxe Peio shop in Bayonne has just been refurbished, it is a beautiful place and, we can all agree that the presentation plays an important factor when buying food produce! Etxe Peio is an easy and pleasant shop to choose products from, with well-displayed products on well lit up stalls!

A well-presented shop is important for a pleasant shopping experience!

But when you just arrive in the Basque Country and you want to organise a meal or  an aperitif with Basque specialities, what do you need most? Advice! This is why I approach Julien, the storeowner ... Julien recommends products which blend well together and which are within my budget, because here you can treat yourself at any budget! And it is with a melodious Basque accent that Julien explains  : "We have been opened for 4 years and we really carefully select our producers... Etxe Peio is one of our 8 shops; we have a loyal local customers base, as well as many tourists ".

I find it is no surprise that the people push the door of Etxe Peio, the window display is attractive and the hams hung at the back, are really eye-catching...

A choice of simple and varied products that compliment each other, with Basque sauce!

Either in vacuum packaging, glass jars or conserves, there is everything youneed to fill up your basket with traditional products that are easy to transport and to preserve.

Ham lovers, here is your dream place!

Selecting produces we like with some great advice

What is the programme of the food festivities? Personally, I need some ham, cheese and something to quench our thirst. Julien shows me the products of the ham cellar. "I really like the window display, outside its function to keep an hygrometry and a perfect and constant temperature for the maturing of the ham, it is really nice to look at! ". Master piece of the shop,

the ham comes from Bayonne (certified and protected by a Protected Geographical Indication (IGP)), it is the most consumed smoked ham in France), Curado Guijuelo (a Spanish ham of exceptional quality, fine in the palate, firm and fresh) or Bellota Pata Negra (an Iberian ham made from naturally raised pigs fed with more than 90% of acorns on the last months of their life). Either in half, quarter or whole, hams are presented in many shapes and at various prices... I love food and I fancy tasting a bit of everything. I choose some slices of ham and chiffonnade that are put under vacuum packaging to ensure they stay fresh until return.

This shopping window is really brilliant, isn’t it?

To honour exceptional ham, you need the right equipment and a certain carving know-how.

Yuuuuuuuuuummmmmmmmmmmmmm

I then taste some cheese. I fancy something typical, Julien recommends: "You need to taste the Ossau-Iraty, the real one with ewe’s milk. It has an AOP (Protected Designation of Origin) and was also rewarded the best cheese of the world in 2011, another good reason to taste it!". Listening to his advice, I also take a pot of black cherry jam, which spice up and counterbalance the slight nut taste of this cheese. With the rest of the jam, I will make a Basque cake ;)

The cheese here has an incomparable taste. Nothing like the cheese found in supermarkets, here the subtle aromas stand out and deliver a long aftertaste.

Jams, herbs and confits (on the right) complement your cheese tasting and other meat base specialities, such as pâtés and terrines.

On the wines side, it is not easy to choose, so I am going to try an appellation that I do not know, but which is characteristic of the Basque Country, the “Irouleguy”. Julien explains that is a wine produced from terraced vines and produced by a cooperative cellar which produce only few bottles. It is an exceptional wine! Its deep colour reveals the fruity, complex and gourmet aromas...I am totally seduced. I also take few artisanal beers from the Akerbeltz brewery in Ascain. And I had to giggle about the name of this summer aperitif...

Nice, the “Turlutte du Pêcheur” (The jigs of the fisherman)! For summer!

The Izarra is a traditional Basque liquor, with a sour and peppery taste, made with 16 plants and species. The recipe is closely guarded secret...

For a pleasant surprise, taste the Irouleguy wine, it is a tannic wine best served with meat and game.

Taste exceptional products with great wines!

My shopping is now finished, and I have been really well guided! There are still many different products, but I cannot present you them all, come or visit their website for their online shop and presentation of the products ;) I am going home now and I invited some gourmet friends for a tasting evening of my Basque discoveries.

Our aperitif in video

For the additional touch, do not forget to bring back some Basque linen to decorate your table;)

All my friends enjoy the hams and cheeses from the Basque Country

Friendly Tasting!

The most important thing when it comes to food, it is the good company. To eat ham on your own does not make sense... Come back with your arms full of treasures from the Etxe Peio shop, and share a fantastic moment with your friends, with some carefully selected food!

Savour etxe peio all year from france (and worldwide!)

Ok, the tasting is now finished, sniff... Now I have four options:

• Go to a fair, a market or an exhibition, since Etxe Peio often has stalls in the whole of France (check the map of their events on their website).
• Place an order on their website, choose the products of your choice and get them delivered at home. Nice, easy, quick and cost effective.
• Going back to the Basque Country as often as possible (there is no end in exploring this magical region)
• Fill the car of Basque specialities to last at least 1 year (careful at the use by date though ;) ).

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