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Home , Basque cuisine, Bidarray, Bidart, Espelette pepper, Gateau Basque, Lecumberry

Inside BASQUE Country Baker, cheesemaker, pepper farmer, curer of ancient hams: These are a few of the makers preserving the native tastes and character of this distinctive corner of southwestern

By Jane Sigal PHOTOGRAPHS BY BETH GALTON Styling By Mariana Velasquez

My friend Olivia’s mother and aunt are preparing quintessential Basque dishes for din- ner. There will be blistered padrón peppers, along with baked goods. For the moment, it’s a squid cook-off, and the sisters eye each other’s mise-en-place in the aunt’s apart- ment in , an elegant beach town wedged between the Pyrenees and the Atlantic Ocean. • When most people think of Basque country, they think of BASQUE-STYLE FISH with , but the region is made up of seven provinces, three of which are in France. GREEN PEPPERS and MANILA CLAMS recipe on pg. 56 The French portion, called Iparralde in the Basque lan- Ospital can tell if the meat is pleasantly savory—or musty. guage, has its own way of doing things. Dinner’s at eight, not “We work with the nose,” he says, at the same time prodding 10, and it’s a full . While Olivia’s mother and aunt squabble the ham leg with his left hand to feel if it is too hard (dried over just how much garlic is too much for their dishes—both out), too soft (not aged long enough), or properly firm. end up lovely, though I prefer her aunt’s intensely garlicky France recognizes de —raw, unsmoked, version—there’s no debate on the subject of how to properly simply cured with salt and air-dried—as worthy of its own approach the ubiquitous gâteau basque that follows for des- indication géographique protégée (IGP) label. Translation: sert: no fork necessary. Eating the uniquely French Basque Here is a ham so inherently special and inimitable that any , buttery and filled with dark cherry preserves, with attempts to duplicate it elsewhere or tweak its production your hands is part of the pleasure. should be prevented by law. Yet Ospital’s father, Louis, felt, On an early spring tour of the Pays Basque, when the Atlan- like judges from older generations, that the designation didn’t tic is cold but surfers are out, suited up in neoprene, Olivia go far enough to protect the quality and traditions of their introduced me to some local characters who are keeping the hams. In the 1980s, they created their Ibaïama label, which region’s wholly unique traditions alive while adding their uses only a specialized breed of pigs and a 20-month-average own interpretations. Together, they compose a gastronomic aging time. Even the source of the salt is indicated: Salies-de- cross-section of a region that maps and locals sometimes Béarn, where a saltwater spring produces white pyramidal disagree on. “This is Basque country,” as Olivia’s cousin told crystals that taste of violets. me one night at the dinner table. “Not France.” Today, Eric Ospital is a recognized master of the ham- making arts. Thomas Keller and Daniel Boulud fly trainees The Charcutier to southwest France to study with him. In his late teens, Ospital With his right hand, Eric Ospital slides a probe into the thick- apprenticed with charcutiers in Bayonne and did his military est part of the jambon de Bayonne (Basque ham), then presses service in Berlin around the time the wall came down. After, it to his nostrils and inhales deeply. The probe, called a sonde, Ospital worked at Paris’s legendary food emporium Fauchon is shaped like a digital thermometer but more elegant and during the tenure of pastry visionary Pierre Hermé. He learned much lower tech, carved as it is from horse bone. discipline and precision while preparing oeufs en gelée and Ospital is a judge at the annual Foire au Jambon, a ham fair foie gras terrines. It was around that time, in the 1990s, that held each spring in Bayonne food artisans began to appear on the menus since 1462. In tented stands of Paris’s best restaurants. along the River, fairgo- Ospital had found his mission: to reha- ers noisily dig into ancient bilitate the profession of charcutier. In the shepherd’s snacks of griddled 1980s, as the French began to eat out more, cornmeal flatbreads stuffed charcuteries started focusing less on cured with bacon or and meat and more on takeaway , too often dripping with cheese. But bought from industrial wholesalers. Ospital here in the ham competition, traveled to Italy to see how the finest hams it’s nearly silent, the mood were made. He modernized his father’s rec- serious. Ospital and his fellow ipe by using less salt and then took the nutty, judges, charcutiers dressed in sweet ham to Paris. Modern bistro pioneer matching neckerchiefs and Yves Camdeborde preferred the texture of black lab coats, make their Ospital’s product to the fabled acorn-fed way around tables of enor- hams of Spain and introduced it to his cli- mous haunches. Among them ents. Eventually, Joël Robuchon and Thierry are red-robed, note-taking Marx came calling—though they members of the Bayonne served the ham in dainty slices, ham brotherhood, photographers, and unlike in Basque country, where a crowd of tense farmers. These farm- it’s often cut into thick steaks, stead hams are rubbed with red piment griddled, and served with eggs. d’ for color and arranged in folk- Ospital’s hams are aged in loric displays. One re-creates an autumnal an airy drying room next to scene with moss, chestnuts in their spiky the Ospital family charcuterie shells, and cèpe mushrooms. Another ham in , 22 miles south- is accompanied by a cutout of the Bayonne east of Biarritz. The space looks skyline—all cathedral spires and arcaded like the spotless attic of a par- houses—and other regional signifiers, like ticularly industrious Basque the handmade woven basket and leather grandmother: Strings of Espe- and PEPPER ball of pelote, a popular jai alai–like game, TORTILLA with HAM and CHEESE and cocoa beans, a nod to the region’s Top: Eric Ospital (left) and fellow fair judges assess the quality of a recipe on pg. 57 delicious chocolate. ham by its smell. Bottom: A string CHICKEN BASQUAISE By holding the sonde to his nostrils, of piment d’Espelette chile peppers. recipe on pg. 56

54 SAVEUR.COM LOCATION PHOTOGRAPHS BY OLIVIA WILCOX Chicken Basquaise garlic, and bay leaf to the plate (3½ cups) the ham and cheese are just as brother, brother-in-law—is pressed into harvesting duty. It’s with the . delicious served on the side. SERVES 6–8; Photo pg. 55 1 medium Spanish onion, done by hand, an AOP regulation. The chiles are air-dried thinly sliced Active: 55 min. • Total: 1 hr. 2 In the same pot over medium- 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh flat- ⅔ cup plus 2 Tbsp. extra- (but not smoked like pimentón in Spain) on racks, first in 5 min. high heat, add the onion and leaf parsley, plus more virgin the greenhouse for two weeks, then for two days in a dehy- This recipe, adapted from shallot and cook, stirring occa- for garnish 2 medium yellow onions, drator. When all the moisture is coaxed out, the peppers Sébastien Gravé, is emblem- sionally, until lightly browned, quartered and thinly atic of the Basque region’s about 5 minutes. Stir in the 2 lb. skin-on, boneless are ground. Dried, they’re the same oxblood color as the sliced affection for colorful, peppery and cook until the liquid hake, striped bass, or exposed timbers in the storybook farmhouses of the region. . Though can evaporates, 3 minutes. Add the haddock, cut into 1½ tsp. kosher salt Before they had dehydrators, farmers strung up the pep- tomato paste and cook, stirring, 2 lb. large Yukon Gold work in a pinch, it’s the flakier, 8 equal fillets pers on south-facing façades, and you still see them, red lightly spicy, more enigmatic for 1 minute. Stir in ½ cup stock 12 Manila clams, scrubbed potatoes (about 6 large braids on whitewashed walls, in the pepper’s namesake that’s char- and ½ teaspoon salt, scraping 1–2 tsp. piment d’Espelette potatoes), peeled and up the browned bits from the acteristic of the region. (ground Espelette sliced ⅛ inch thick capital of Espelette, near the Spanish border. Harking back bottom of the pan. Cook until pepper, optional) 2 large red bell peppers, to this custom, pepper growers save the prettiest chiles to 3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive the liquid is mostly evaporated,­ thinly sliced (3½ cups) sew into garlands, and locals dry them at home or buy them oil 5–8 minutes. Return the thyme, 1 In a 12-inch skillet, heat the ¼ tsp. freshly ground black 4 small fresh garlic, bay leaf, sausages, and dried, then crush or chop them as needed. chicken (skin side up) to the olive oil over medium-high heat. pepper sausages While can rattle off that it takes 7-plus kilograms pot. Transfer to the oven and Add the garlic and cook, stirring 10 large eggs 4 skin-on, boneless of fresh peppers to make 1 kilogram of the , he can’t tell roast until the chicken is cooked occasionally, until just begin- 8–10 thin slices firm sheep’s chicken breasts (about through, about 10 minutes. ning to brown, 1 minute. Sprinkle milk cheese, such me much about what to do with it in the kitchen. Instead, the flour over the garlic and stir 8 oz. each), halved Move the chicken and sausages as Ossau-Iraty or he drives me northwest along the scenic, winding Route to combine. Add the and crosswise to a platter. Manchego (optional) Impériale des Cimes to Bayonne, where his school friend Kosher salt and freshly cook, stirring rapidly, until the mixture thickens and reduces 8–10 thin slices jambon de Sébastien Gravé operates La Table de Pottoka, named after ground pepper 3 Set the pot over medium- slightly, about 2 minutes. Add Bayonne, serrano ham, 6 thyme sprigs high heat. Add the wine, piquillo a native pony believed to have Paleolithic origins. peppers, and remaining 1 cup the fish stock and kosher salt, or prosciutto (optional) Rodolphe Bidart and his family grow, dry, and grind Espelette pep- 2 large garlic cloves, Gravé trained with the celebrated chefs Joël Robuchon stock and bring to a simmer; then bring the mixture back to pers, an indispensable spice to French Basque . lightly crushed and Christian Constant. He works with the freshest ingre- cook, stirring occasionally, until a boil. Add the peppers, onion, 1 In a large ovenproof nonstick 1 bay leaf the liquid is reduced by half, and parsley, and spread into or cast-iron skillet, warm ⅓ cup lette peppers dry under the steeply pitched roof, and hunks 1 yellow onion, halved and about 10 minutes. Remove from an even layer on the bottom of oil over medium-high heat. Add of ham dangle from heavy wood beams. Each is swaddled thinly sliced (2 cups) the heat. Add back the chicken the pan. Raise the heat to high, the onion and ¼ teaspoon salt; cover the pan, and simmer until cook, stirring occasionally, until in muslin and wears a small blackboard with the name of a 1 shallot, halved and sausages, and the potatoes lengthwise and thinly if desired (or serve them on the the are softened, softened, about 4 minutes. about 5 minutes. Add the potatoes, bell peppers, restaurant to which it’s been promised; each is aged differ- sliced (⅓ cup) side). Serve directly from the another ⅓ cup oil, ½ teaspoon ently, according to the individual taste of its patron. Every 1 tomato, diced (¾ cup) pot or on a platter, sprinkled with the apple, parsley, and 2 Uncover the pan and place salt, and the black pepper and year, Ospital produces only 1,000 hams. Some are destined 2 Tbsp. tomato paste piment d’Espelette. the fish pieces skin side up in cook until the oil begins to sim- for Paris, others for Japan and New York. The ham maker is 1½ cups chicken stock a single layer atop the vege­ mer. Lower the heat to medium pleased with his progress, though he notes, “If you have to 1 cup dry tables. Nestle the clams in and cook, stirring occasionally, have a Maserati, this is not the job for you.” 10 jarred piquillo peppers, between the fillets and season until the potatoes are tender and lightly browned in places, drained and halved Basque-Style Fish the fish with salt to taste. Cover lengthwise and cook until the fillets are just about 20 minutes. The Pepper Grower 12 boiled small new with Green Peppers opaque at the center and the The one homegrown chile of France is, like many things potatoes (1½ lb.) and Manila Clams clams have opened, 5–7 min- 2 Transfer the vegetables to a utes. (Discard any clams that large bowl and let cool slightly. French, subtly complex. Piment d’Espelette has flavors of ¼ cup green apple, finely SERVES 4; Photo pg. 52 do not open.) Meanwhile, rinse out the skillet; diced, for garnish Active: 20 min. • Total: 25 min. tomato and hay and a buzz that’s gentle rather than incendiary. dry and place back on the stove. 2 Tbsp. chopped flat-leaf “We never use black pepper at home,” says Rodolphe This riff on Basque pipérade, 3 On a deep serving platter, Bidart, who grows the pepper on his farm near the spa town parsley, for garnish a classic dish of stewed pep- scatter the vegetables, then 3 Preheat the oven to 450°. of Cambo-les-Bains. The mellow heat and warm familiar- 2 tsp. piment d’Espelette pers, incorporates seafood place the fish and clams on In a large bowl, beat the eggs (ground Espelette from the region. Hake is tradi- ity of the peppers are enough for him. top. Spoon the remaining broth until foamy; season with ¾ - pepper) or paprika tional, but mild, white-fleshed over the fish and garnish with spoon kosher salt. Add the Bidart used to lay tiles to make ends meet before he tran- fish like striped bass or had- chopped parsley and Espe- beaten eggs to the vegetables sitioned to farming full-time, a shift that’s telling of piment 1 Preheat the oven to 450°. dock make fine substitutes. lette pepper, if using; serve and stir gently to combine. d’Espelette’s evolution: Once barely known beyond the Pyre- Meanwhile, in an 8-quart Dutch Fresh clams offer a briny immediately. sweetness. Any assortment of nees, the vibrant dust of this brick red pepper has now spread oven or large, high-sided cast- 4 In the skillet, heat 2 iron skillet, warm 1 tablespoon mild peppers will work here. tablespoons olive oil over As a kid, Raphaël Eliceche learned how to make cheese from his as far and wide as San Francisco and Bangkok, where chefs oil over medium heat. Add the medium heat. Add the egg- mother. He uses the same methods today, with a few modern tweaks. ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil sprinkle it on plates for added color. sausages and cook, turning Potato and Pepper mixture and cook, Bidart’s house, a converted barn with coppery stone walls occasionally, until browned, 2 garlic cloves, finely stirring a little at first to let dients and a broad Basque humor. Bidart and Gravé chat in minced (1 Tbsp.) Tortilla with Ham and green shutters that’s belonged to his family for four about 8 minutes. Transfer the more of the egg touch the sur- fits of laughter, while the chef prepares his take on chicken sausages to a large plate, cut 1 Tbsp. all-purpose flour and Cheese face of the pan, until the eggs generations, is the perfect spot for storing hay. It’s dry and into 3-inch pieces, and set ½ cup dry white wine SERVES 8–10; Photo pg. 55 begin to set on the bottom, basquaise, breasts sautéed until golden brown, then quickly sunny here, but a few miles west, outside Cambo-les-Bains, aside. Add the remaining oil 2 cups fish stock or clam Total: 50 min. about 2 minutes. Spread the braised in white wine and stock. With piquillos replacing bell the climate is completely different and better suited to grow- to the pot and raise the heat broth vegetables into an even layer peppers, spicy sausages instead of ham and a hit of diced to high. Season the chicken ¾ tsp. kosher salt, or more In Pays Basque, this egg-based at the top, and reduce the heat ing the slender 3- to 4-inch peppers. Warm moist air from all over with , tortilla is sometimes sliced to medium. Cook the tortilla, green apple, this iteration provides a new conception of the to taste the Bay of Biscay rises over the slopes, and it rains, often. then add skin side down to the through the middle like a sand- shaking the skillet occasion- Basque standard and a pointer on piment d’Espelette: You don’t At his greenhouse near Cambo, Bidart shows off the pan. Tuck the thyme sprigs, 1 lb. assorted mild green wich roll and layered with ally to prevent the eggs from cook it. Sprinkle it on just before serving, Gravé says. Unlike its peppers (such as 6-week-old shoots he’s started from seeds saved from last garlic, and bay leaf between cured ham and sheep’s milk sticking, until the eggs are half- Spanish relative pimentón, whose smokiness practically the pieces. Cook until the Anaheim, , bell, cheese. If cutting horizontally way cooked, about 5 minutes. year’s harvest. In April, he plants the seedlings outside. skin is browned, 5–7 minutes. or ), cut into through the thin, delicate tor- Transfer the skillet to the oven blooms in the pot, the French chile’s delicate flavor can’t In August, as the peppers ripen, everybody—wife, father, Transfer the chicken, thyme, ¼-inch strips tilla seems too troublesome, and cook until the top of tortilla take the heat.

56 SAVEUR.COM 57 is just set, 3–4 minutes. Turn about 3 minutes. Scrape down the heat to broil and cook until the bowl and add 1 egg plus The Baker the top is beginning to lightly 1 egg yolk; beat on medium- Mickaël Sansoucy tosses boulangerie-size heaps of , brown in places and the tortilla low speed to combine. Add the butter, eggs, and flour into a mixer for thepâte sablée in his seems fully set when the pan is flour mixture in two batches, gâteau basque. Asked if the might be too tough, he shaken, 2–4 minutes. Remove beating on low speed until just the skillet and quickly place a incorporated each time. looks amused. “You don’t have to worry,” the baker says large ovenproof plate over the with a massively dimpled smile. “There is so much but- top. Carefully invert or slide the 3 Remove the bowl and form ter in this pastry.” tortilla onto the plate and either the dough into two equal balls A six-minute ride from Cambo-les-Bains, the town where enjoy immediately with the using your hands (do not over- ham and cheese on the side, or the emblematic Basque was invented, the baker handle). Place one ball between let cool slightly in order to stuff two large sheets of parchment from Brittany makes a prizewinning version of the cookie- the tortilla. paper, and roll out the round like double-crusted tart with a filling of either vanilla pastry to about 11 inches in diameter; cream or dark cherry preserves. Since Sansoucy arrived in 5 If stuffing, use a long ser- place on a baking sheet (do not rated knife to slice the cooled remove the paper). Repeat the in 2010, the community has embraced him with tortilla horizontally in half. Gen- process with the other ball of a big warm hug. His customers even nominated his bakery, tly and carefully pull back half dough, rolling it out to about Axola Gabe—a Basque translation of his family name that of the top piece, then cover the 9 inches in diameter. Stack means “carefree”—as a contender for the Top Chef–like real- bottom half of the tortilla with the dough disks on the baking a layer of cheese, followed by sheet and refrigerate until firm ity show La Meilleure Boulangerie de France. a layer of ham. Sandwich the but still flexible, 30 minutes to Mickaël and his brother, Sylvain, who takes care of ham and cheese with the top an hour. sales and promotion, left their home of coastal Brittany half of the tortilla. Repeat on the remaining side. Cut into 4 Set a rack in the top third of in search of an environment that would welcome their wedges and serve. unusual ideas, like gluten-free baking. “Being Breton, I the oven and preheat to 375°. Grease a 9-inch round cake pan absolutely wanted sea and mountains,” Mickaël says. “And with butter. Add a parchment and Bretons have their own languages and many round to cover just the bottom of the same cultural codes. Basques are more accepting of Cherry Gâteau Basque of the cake pan. newcomers and innovation though.” MAKES ONE 9-INCH CAKE; Photo at right 5 Retrieve the dough rounds In some ways, the Sansoucy brothers have taken a step back Active: 35 min. • Total: 1 hr. and let rest at room temper- in time. In their small artisanal shop, they bake baguettes and 5 min. (plus cooling) ature for about 5 minutes. country loaves, plus rustic , cakes, and . Carefully peel away the paper They sell at roving markets and make individual deliver- The signature dessert of around the larger round of the region, gâteau basque is dough. Place the dough in the ies to people who can’t get out. But their delivery trucks are made by sandwiching a layer prepared pan and press it gen- 100 percent electric powered. And riding the trend of res- of jam or sweet pastry cream tly into the corners; trim so urrected ancient grains, Mickaël uses stoneground wheat between two shortbread-like that the dough reaches half- and flours made from einkorn, buckwheat, rye, and kamut. rounds. Cherry preserves are way up the sides. Add the a classic filling—choosing a cherry preserves to the center (CONTINUED ON PG. 75) good-quality jam makes all the of the dough, and spread with difference—and the dough it- the back of the spoon to coat self resembles a cookie dough, evenly, leaving a ¾-inch border with additional eggs lending around the edges. Remove the a cakier texture. It can also be paper around the smaller round baked in a 9-inch fluted tart of dough, then place it atop the pan with a removable bottom; cake pan. Trim the edges so just be sure to grease the sides that the dough just fits inside with butter before assembling. but still touches the sides of the pan. Using fingers, press down 2 cups all-purpose flour around the edges, tucking the 1¼ tsp. baking powder dough ends in and fusing the two together. ½ tsp. kosher salt 10 Tbsp. (5 oz.) unsalted 6 In a small bowl, beat the butter, softened remaining egg with a few ½ cup plus 2 Tbsp. sugar drops water. Brush the top of 2 large eggs, divided the dough generously with the 1 large egg yolk egg wash. Then, using a small, ½ cup plus 2 Tbsp. cherry sharp knife, create a pattern of preserves crisscrossed lines.

1 In a medium bowl, combine 7 Bake until the top is golden, the flour, baking powder, and 30–35 minutes. Remove to a salt; stir briefly to mix. rack and let cool 5 minutes. Use a paring knife to dislodge the 2 In the bowl of a stand mixer cake’s edges from the pan. Gen- fitted with the paddle attach- tly invert onto a flat plate, then ment, add the butter and invert again onto another plate Baker Mickaël Sansoucy making his gâteau basque—classically sugar; beat on medium-high or stand. Let cool completely. CHERRY GÂTEAU BASQUE buttery with a crunch—that locals have showered with praise. speed until light and airy, Slice into wedges and serve. recipe on pg. 58

58 SAVEUR.COM (CONTINUED FROM PG. 58) he says. “I don’t milk the animals by hand anymore, but I kept the The brothers can’t keep up with dem- same recipe.” and; they’re building a new bakery. When the milk has almost reached You could say Mickaël has become body temperature, Eliceche adds more Basque than the Basques them- rennet. In the half hour of downtime selves. He studies Euskara, their it takes to curdle the milk, he talks about ancient language, and is a member his ardi gasna, Basque sheep cheese, of Eguzkia, the gâteau basque’s defend- which he named Irubela after a nearby ing authority. In fact, his by-the-book mountain. His version is made more or version of the pastry has placed three less in accordance with the local AOP times in Cambo-les-Bains’s annual rules for Ossau-Iraty cheese. His sheep gâteau basque contest. He’s also intro- come only from the approved breeds: duced a version of Brittany’s buttery Basco-Béarnaise, Manech tête rousse, kouign amann pastry with a very and Manech tête noire. His Irubela Basque touch: It’s layered with a bite of is uncooked. It’s pressed into a cylin- piment d’Espelette–spiked chocolate. der that’s briefly bathed in brine and aged for at least two months. But it The Cheesemaker doesn’t carry the official seal of approval. Raphaël Eliceche—up to his right Why forgo the prestigious appella- elbow in warm milk curds and wear- tion? “My recipe is the old one, by ing a beret—whistles as he stirs. It’s a taste,” he says. plaintive tune. When I ask the 49-year- Once the curd forms, it’s finely cut to old cheesemaker what it is, he grins as help expel the whey. To judge its readi- if he’s been caught. ness for draining, Eliceche first removes “It’s an old folk song,” he says. “We his beret so it doesn’t fall into the vat, have a shepherd who sings it, and it’s then reaches in to ensure that the pieces gotten stuck in my head.” are the size of corn kernels. “Now the Although , the nearest real work begins,” he says. Joined by his village to Eliceche’s farm, is only 40 wife, Sylvie Beaussant, the two quickly minutes southeast of Biarritz where transfer the curds to 53 muslin-lined we are staying, we didn’t allow for the perforated molds, kneading and pack- twisty one-lane road into the Pyrenees ing them with their knuckles. foothills. Fortunately, there are hand- The molds filled and stacked stenciled fromage signs at every turn. for pressing, we gather around his When we arrive, it’s past nine. Mean- mother’s kitchen table to taste a fully while, Eliceche has already milked his aged cheese. Jeanne sets out home- 400 ewes and combined the morning’s made cherry preserves, but Eliceche milk with yesterday’s in a stainless- demurs. “It denatures the flavor,” he steel vat the size of a Jacuzzi. says. “It tastes good, but then it’s des- While we wait for the milk to warm sert.” This still supple 10-month-old in the steamy dairy, he tells us about is ivory with a straw-colored rind. his background. Like their neighbors, It’s entirely different from a cheese his parents grew a little corn and some like Idiazabal that you might find in grapevines and kept a few pigs and Spain, partly because they use differ- sheep. Like all farmwives, his mother, ent sheep and it’s unsmoked. The flavor, Jeanne, made cheese, and Eliceche, nutty and pungent with a whiff of the before attending ag school, learned barnyard, must be what ardi gasna from her. She taught him to milk the has tasted like since the Basques first animals by hand and heat the milk in smuggled contraband across the Pyre­ a copper cauldron in the fireplace. At nees. Now I understand why Eliceche age 26, he began to pursue cheesemak- decided to go off-piste. ing seriously. But he probably wouldn’t I ask about the Irubela label, adorned be a full-time sheepherder and cheese- with two green stars reminiscent of the maker today if a young intern hadn’t Basque cross, but not an actual one. suggested posting those charming For Eliceche, making a literal repre- signs that led us in. Sales jumped. sentation would smack of trading on Ten years ago, he modernized the his identity. “My cheese is for sale,” he operation. “I have new equipment,” explains. “Not the Pays Basque.” n

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