Spanish Food: 5 Must-Try Dishes in Pamplona

more than a year ago

Pintxos

Tapas is so typical for Spain in general, so it is to be tasted while in Pamplona too. They call it “pintxos” in the region (or “txikiteo” in the Basque language). You can find all around in the city, anyway, the Old Town is the area to relish the tastiest snacks. They are actually bigger than the typical tapas, so if you take one or two, it might be called appetizer, but if you eat say like four pieces, it has to be enough to be full. Pintxo is the toothpick that holds the stuffing to the bread. And you can put a lot of things on – fish, octopus, pork, sausage, cheese, vegetables. One of the favourites is Pintxo with foie gras.

Fish

Pamplona is an inland location, yet it has plenty of fish specialties. One of the Navarre’s trademarks is Bacalao al ajoarriero (Cod with garlic and peppers). The trout specialties also worth to be tasted and celebrated – watch out for Trucha de Navarra. Except for fresh fish, local people in Iruna also eat a lot of smoked fish.

Txistorra: The Navarrese type of chorizo

This kind of sausage is typical for Navarre as well as for neighbouring communities like Aragon and the Basque country. Txistorra (or chistorra) is made of minced pork or beef (or a mix of both types of meat) and flavoured with garlic and paprika, which gives the essential red colour. The sausage is usually grilled, baked, or fried, or grilled and served on tapas (pintxos) or garnered with vegetables or scrambled eggs.

Bull’s tail stew

In the city famous for the bull-runs it has to be a beef specialty. And there is – the Bull’s tail stew also known as Estofado de toro. The stews occur to be quite typical for the Navarre region. You can also try Cordero al chilindrón – Lamb cooked with vegetables.

Churros with chocolate

Pamplona is rich with sweet tastes. One of the most popular desserts is churro with chocolate. You can buy it on the street or in the pastry shop. If you want more of the sweet try also torrijas or canutillos de crema.