The Year in Books: March with The Basque History Of The World by Mark Kurlanksy

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Basque History Of The World by Mark Kurlanksy, 1999

“Nomansland, the territory of the Basques, is in a region called Cornucopia, where the vines are tied up with sausages. And in those parts there was a mountain made entirely of grated Parmesan cheese on whose slopes there were people who spent their whole time making macaroni and ravioli, which they cooked in chicken broth and then cast it to the four winds, and the faster you could pick it up, the more you got of it.”

–          Giovanni Boccaccio, The Decameron, 1352

Back in November I read Kurlansky’s Cod: A Biography Of The Fish That Changed The World, which was a great read. It recounted the effect of cod and the fishing industry on places including Newfoundland, Boston, and Basqueland.

The Basques are an interesting people – neither French nor Spanish, their Basqueland’s seven provinces span those two countries. They have their own language, Euskera, a prehistoric language that is unrelated to any other known language. Their history spans millennia, and they have even been thought to have descended from the Cro-Magnon. I am reminded of the fiercely independent Spanish clan from Asterix in Spain – although never said outright, and wearing different clothing, there are some aspects of the Basque culture represented.

The Basques were famously a sea-faring people, having thought to have been the first to reach places like Newfoundland – even beating the Vikings. If you think you’ve never heard of any bits of Basque culture, think again: the Spanish name Javier comes from the name Xavier, or Xabier, a Basque name. Originally Xabier comes from the place name Etxeberri, meaning “new house.” Saint St Francis Xavier, one of the first Jesuits, was Basque; and there is a university in Canada (Nova Scotia) named after him.

Being fishermen, the Basques have long been skilled in sea travel. Take for example the voyage of Magellan: on his trip around the world, Magellan died in the Philippines; one ship was destroyed, and the last, the Victoria, continued around the world with Juan Sebastian de Elcan, a Basque from Guetaria, as her captain. The ships were probably built by Basques as well, as they were known for their shipbuilding skills.

The Basques most likely beat Columbus to North America, and possibly even the Vikings. Being brave fishermen, they fished the cod-rich waters off the coast of Newfoundland. Being fishermen, they didn’t want to let their competitors know about their rich fishing grounds!

Of course, I am just as interested in the Basque food! I have read about the Gateau Basque from The Little Paris Kitchen by Rachel Khoo. It is a cake filled with either cherry jam or pastry cream; the cherry version was originally made with the Basque’s own cherry, the xapata from Itxassou. The cake is kind of like a cross between a cake, a pie and a cookie. The pastry itself is traditionally made with almond flour, although many recipes you see now do without this ingredient (and then sometimes the pastry cream is flavoured with almonds). I’ve also read that if the gateau is filled with pastry cream, the top of the cake has a crosshatch pattern pressed into it; if the cake is filled with cherries, the top is decorated with a Basque cross (which was originally a sun with four rays, leftovers from the Basque’s pagan days).

The history of the Basques was skipped over when I learned history in school, yet they have such a strong culture dating back for thousands of years. On my next trip to Europe, I surely want to visit Basqueland and try all the delicious Basque specialties!

See what other bloggers are reading in March at Circle of Pine Trees.

http://www.npr.org/2009/12/24/121461544/gateau-basque-a-perfect-cake-for-the-holidays

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