“Going pintxo-hopping” in San Sebastián, the best culinary experience in the world, according to Lonely Planet

This article was translated by John R. Bopp

Lonely Planet has just published a book called Ultimate Eatlist, in which a group of chefs has gathered the 500 best culinary experiences in the world.  The first place for the most sublime experience goes to “pintxo-hopping” in San Sebastián.

Being at the top of this list is an incredible score and publicity boon.  Millions of people around the world are reading and hearing that San Sebastián now offers the best culinary experience in the world.  That carries unimaginable power and strength.

We’re sure there will be negative reactions to this decision, including how expensive it is, or how the Old Part of the city is turning into a theme park, or how tourists are diluting the city’s personality, or how quality is dropping as it turns into a “business”.

Those things may indeed be happening, but those things might also be an exaggeration.  These critics complain because something “should be done”, only to turn around because “shouldn’t be done”. We’re very much the land of “that’s not how it should be done”, as was shown so beautifully in the film “Witching and Bitching (Las Brujas de Zugarramurdi)”, when one of the robbers spends the whole film complaining at every decision made, “that’s not how it’s supposed to be done.”  Finally, his partner, more than a little fed up, asks, “So how is it supposed to be done?” Caught off guard, the critic can only stutter, “I don’t know, but not like that.”

All these “problems” are not being caused by visitors or tourism.  They’re caused by those who forget common sense when facing the opportunity to make more money.  There are things the government could do, such as regulating the rental of private apartments to tourists, but it’s very difficult to regulate the price or quality of pintxos.

That, in the end, will be regulated by the image the city transmits. If tourists feel cheated, or that they’re in a theme park designed to get their money in exchange for poor-quality products that don’t offer that amazing experience they were promised, then the goose that laid the golden egg will be killed, and then all we’ll hear is weeping and gnashing of teeth.

We’ll leave you with the report from the Lonely Planet website, and an example of how this list of the best culinary experiences is being reported on, with an article penned by Rachel Hosie in The Independent.

And we’ll save the report published in our admired The Guardian guided by Elena Arzak for another article.

Lonely Planet – 8/2018 – USA

Lonely Planet’s Ultimate Eatlist

When we travel, the food we eat tells a story, unlocking social customs and revealing ancient traditions, all while offering us a chance to connect with the locals in an organic way. The inextricable link between food and travel is so fascinating (not to mention, delicious!) that we set our community of bloggers, writers and staff the task of trawling the planet for epic foodie adventures.

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Traductor de Google. Lonely Planet no admite el sistema automático de traducción de Google. Es necesario cortar el texto y pegarlo en la página del traductor

The Independent – 15/8/2018 – Gran Bretaña

For many of us, discovering new cuisines is one of the most important and exciting aspects of travelling. Trying local delicacies, experiencing different traditions and learning new ways to appreciate food and drink is one of the best ways to discover a foreign culture.

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Last Updated on Dec 20, 2020 by About Basque Country