Talo or Talau (), also known as pastetx or artopil in

Soule Soule (; Basque language, Basque: Zuberoa; Zuberoan/ Soule Basque: Xiberoa or Xiberua; ) is a former viscounty and France, French Provinces of France, province and part of the present-day Pyrénées-Atlantiques ''département in France, départ ...

, is a typical food of the Basque Country, similar to the traditional

corn tortilla In Mexico and Central America, a corn tortilla or just tortilla (, ) is a type of thin, unleavened flatbread, made from hominy, that is the whole kernels of maize treated with alkali to improve their nutrition in a process called nixtamalizati ...

Mesoamerica Mesoamerica is a historical region and cultural area that begins in the southern part of North America and extends to the Pacific coast of Central America, thus comprising the lands of central and southern Mexico, all of Belize, Guatemala, El S ...

, made of

corn flour Cornflour or corn flour may refer to: * Corn starch or cornflour (in the UK), from the endosperm of the kernel of the corn (maize) grain * Maize flour or corn flour (in the US and elsewhere), very finely ground cornmeal, ground from dried maize ...

, water and a bit of salt. It is round and is cooked in a warm metal plank, named a ''talo burni'' ("talo iron"). It can be eaten alone, with various toppings, and is also used as a wrap for various foods.

History

After corn was introduced from America to Basque agriculture in 1520, talo was subsequently prepared. Talo was used as bread in Basque houses, and the remainings were sometimes mixed with milk making something similar to

soup Soup is a primarily liquid food, generally served warm or hot – though it is sometimes served chilled – made by cooking or otherwise combining meat or vegetables with Stock (food), stock, milk, or water. According to ''The Oxford Compan ...

, which was eaten for dinner. In the 20th century the generalization of

wheat bread Brown bread is bread made with significant amounts of whole grain flours, usually wheat sometimes with corn and or rye flours. Brown breads often get their characteristic dark color from ingredients such as molasses or coffee. In Canada, the ...

reduced the consumption of talo, which started to only be eaten in special occasions. In

Bilbao Bilbao is a city in northern Spain, the largest city in the Provinces of Spain, province of Biscay and in the Basque Country (greater region), Basque Country as a whole. It is also the largest city proper in northern Spain. Bilbao is the List o ...

and Donostia it is an essential element at ''Saint Thomas fair, celebrated annually on December 21. In the 1930s, workers would wrap foods within talo and take this to the fields. During the 1930s, miners also consumed talo, and it was also eaten by factory workers after this time. Nowadays it is eaten with txistorra (a type of thin

chorizo ''Chorizo'' ( , ; ; see #Names, below) is a type of pork sausage originating from the Iberian Peninsula. It is made in many national and regional varieties in several countries on different continents. Some of these varieties are quite differe ...

) while drinking

txakoli Txakoli (pronounced ) or chacolí (pronounced ) is a slightly sparkling, very dry white wine with high acidity and low alcohol content produced in the Spanish Basque Country, Cantabria and northern Burgos in Spain. Further afield, Chile is al ...

. It is sometimes accompanied with milk, eaten with fried egg, fried

pancetta Pancetta () is a Salting (food)#Meat, salt-cured pork belly meat product in a category known as ''Salumi, salume''. In Italy, it is often used to add depth to soups and pasta. (in Italian). Uses For cooking, pancetta is often cut into cubes ( ...

(in Basque ''xingar'', in French ''ventrèche'') or fried Bayonne Ham,

cheese Cheese is a type of dairy product produced in a range of flavors, textures, and forms by coagulation of the milk protein casein. It comprises proteins and fat from milk (usually the milk of cows, buffalo, goats or sheep). During prod ...

Ossau-Iraty Ossau-Iraty () is a Basque cheese made from sheep's milk. Origin Ossau-Iraty or Esquirrou is produced in south-western France, in the Northern Basque Country and in Béarn. Its name reflects its geographical location, the Ossau Valley in Béarn ...

chocolate Chocolate is a food made from roasted and ground cocoa beans that can be a liquid, solid, or paste, either by itself or to flavoring, flavor other foods. Cocoa beans are the processed seeds of the cacao tree (''Theobroma cacao''); unprocesse ...

honey Honey is a sweet and viscous substance made by several species of bees, the best-known of which are honey bees. Honey is made and stored to nourish bee colonies. Bees produce honey by gathering and then refining the sugary secretions of pl ...

. In

Bayonne Bayonne () is a city in southwestern France near the France–Spain border, Spanish border. It is a communes of France, commune and one of two subprefectures in France, subprefectures in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques departments of France, departm ...

, France, street vendors purvey talo during its annual Bayonne Ham Fair.

References

External links

*
Euskaltalo.com
*
Talos of Segura

McDonald's Wraps
{{Corn Maize dishes Basque cuisine

History

See also

References

External links