AMAYA F. / Finalist

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The Theme: The Impact of Food on Basque Culture

Connecting Around the Table

“My first interactions with my Basque culture were through the Basque dinners my mother and grandmother threw when we lived in a community with a very low Basque population. I grew up seeing how these Basque dinners brought the community together and shared our Basque culture with others. When I went to the Basque Country this summer, I discovered that the strong community aspect of food is the center of Basque culture, and it is here that people come together. That’s the power of food. It remains timeless; even as everything around it changes, we still have the table to sit around and connect.”

Saioa S. / Finalist

Posted on by beobasque in scholarships 24

The Theme: The Impact of Food on Basque Culture

To Others it Is Just Food, For Me, It Is My Everything

“The impact of food on the Basque Culture has impacted me as I have grown up in the world. Food has been a source of comfort as I always think about my amazing family when surrounded by food as it is connected to years of memories that the life I live has given me!”

Saioa S. Submission

ENARA I. / Finalist

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The Theme: The Impact of Food on Basque Culture

Gâteau Basque

“When I first learned that the topic was “The Impact of Food on Basque Culture”, I was immediately reminded of my grandmother’s cooking and the rich traditions of Basque cuisine. It was my mother who suggested that I write about the story behind grandmother’s Gâteau Basque recipe and the meaningful experience of her finally sharing it with me. I wanted to capture not only my emotions and thoughts while making the cake
for the first time but also the deeper significance of this moment. After a few first rough drafts on this essay, it became clear that this recipe was important not just to me but also to my mother. My grandmother sharing it marked a pivotal moment for her, as it symbolized her deeper connection with the Basque community and reinforced the bond and trust between her and my grandmother.”

Enara I 2024 Submission

HEMENDIK

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a coffee table book

“There are a thousand ways we can learn about a culture, but we don’t often consider stories behind those ‘things’ we take for granted. Highlighting 50 iconic objects from the Basque Country, this book uses stunning photography and fascinating stories to describe a world of innovation and creativity. Not only that but it’s compiled in a way that allows me to learn something new every time I open the book. I didn’t know I needed this.”

HEMENDIK (“from here” in Basque) is available in Basque/English, Basque/French, and Basque/Spanish.

*Here’s something else you need to know: The BEO is working with the organization that created this book to host a discussion about some of the stories behind the highlighted objects. It will be virtual, which means anyone from anywhere can join. Stay tuned as we iron out the details. In the meantime…

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sample images:

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I’M NOT FROM HERE

Posted on by beobasque in BEOpicks, Streaming Available

a short film directed and written by Giedrė Žickytė & Maite Alberdi

“Not only is this beautifully filmed, but it magically captures and intertwines both human nature and strong Basque personality traits, making it very easy for the viewer to identify with the main character. I laughed and cried and, because I watched it alone, was left wanting to talk to someone else because there’s so much to unpack from this 25-minute film.”

Josebe, who is living in a nursing home in Chile, is surrounded by Chileans who say she is Spanish, but she continues to stand firm that she is not Spanish but is, in fact, Basque.

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MURDER AT THE BOARDINGHOUSE

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by Elizabette Guéçamburu

“The author is quite a talented storyteller, and writing the story through the eyes of a teenager gives the reader a sense of hope. Specific details and historical references provides enough depth that the reader questions if it’s real or not… and the plot twist at the end is superb. An easy and enjoyable read. Definitely recommend.”

Set in a 1940’s boardinghouse, this novel chronicles a teenager, Anna Elissetche, as she investigates a murder that happens right under her very nose. A witty tale with relatable characters, Murder at the Boardinghouse will delight readers and leave them asking, “WHODUNIT?”

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BOOK OF PINTXOS

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by Marti Buckley

Marti Buckley has done it again with a visually appealing and mouth-watering look at one of the best foods to come out of the Basque Country, the pintxo. Buckley’s “The Book of Pintxos: Discover the Legendary Small Bites of Basque Country” includes step-by-step recipes on how to make some of the most well-known pintxos, whose recipes and histories have never been written down before in such detail. Not only will you learn how to make these famous pintxos at home, but Buckley also explains their origin stories and the history of the bars where they were first served.

I especially love how Buckley describes a pintxo: “The truth is, pintxos are a way of life, specific to a very small corner of the world…A pintxo without a bar is not a pintxo. A pintxo without a drink and a friend or barman to talk to is like the proverbial tree falling in the forest with no one to hear it – is it real? Pintxos are not only a ‘what’, they are where you eat them and what you are doing while you eat them – they are inextricable from their cultural context.”

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