Talo_(food)

Talo (food)

Talo (food)

Unleavened maize flatbread from Basque Country


Talo or Talau[1] (Basque pronunciation: [talo]) is a typical food of the Basque Country, similar to the traditional corn tortilla of Mesoamerica, made of corn flour, water and a bit of salt.[2][3][4] It is round and is cooked in a warm metal plank, named a talo burni ("talo iron").[5] It can be eaten alone, with various toppings, and is also used as a wrap for various foods.[6]

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History

After corn was introduced from America to Basque agriculture in 1520, talo was subsequently prepared.[7] Talo was used as bread in Basque houses, and the remainings were sometimes mixed with milk making something similar to soup, which was eaten for dinner.[citation needed] In the 20th century the generalization of wheat bread reduced the consumption of talo, which started to only be eaten in special occasions. In Bilbao and Donostia it is an essential element at Saint Thomas' fair, celebrated annually on December 21.[8] In the 1930s, workers would wrap foods within talo and take this to the fields.[9] During the 1930s, miners also consumed talo, and it was also eaten by factory workers after this time.[9]

Nowadays it is eaten with txistorra (a type of thin chorizo) while drinking txakoli.[10][11][12] It is sometimes accompanied with milk,[5] eaten with fried egg,[1] fried pancetta (in Basque xingar, in French ventrèche) or fried Bayonne Ham, cheese[2][5] like Ossau-Iraty, chocolate or honey.[13] In Bayonne, France, street vendors purvey talo during its annual Bayonne Ham Fair.[14]

See also


References

  1. Philpott, D. (2016). The World of Wine and Food: A Guide to Varieties, Tastes, History, and Pairings. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. p. 430. ISBN 978-1-4422-6804-3. Retrieved November 18, 2017.
  2. Davis, M.A. (2002). Chorizos in an Iron Skillet: Memories and Recipes of an American Basque Daughter. Basque (Paperback). University of Nevada Press. p. 202. ISBN 978-0-87417-445-8. Retrieved November 18, 2017.
  3. Saveur. Meigher Communications. 2007. p. 359. Retrieved November 18, 2017.
  4. "Basque in its glory". The Week. August 11, 2016. Retrieved November 18, 2017.
  5. Sevilla, M.J. (1998). Life and Food in the Basque Country. New Amsterdam Books. p. 73. ISBN 978-1-4617-3313-3. Retrieved November 18, 2017.
  6. Pastor, J.M.A. (2004). Possible Paradises: Basque Emigration to Latin America. Basque (Hardcover). University of Nevada Press. p. 20. ISBN 978-0-87417-444-1. Retrieved November 18, 2017.
  7. Eguía, Sergio (20 December 2013). "Así es el talo perfecto". El Correo (in European Spanish). Retrieved 23 April 2020. La tradicional oblea de maíz es la reina de esta multitudinaria celebración.
  8. Kurlansky, M. (2011). Basque History Of The World. Knopf Canada. p. pt131. ISBN 978-0-307-36978-9. Retrieved November 18, 2017.
  9. Yarza, I. (2017). Pan de pueblo: Recetas e historias de los panes y panaderías de España. SABORES (in Spanish). Penguin Random House Grupo Editorial España. p. 73. ISBN 978-84-16895-40-3. Retrieved November 18, 2017.
  10. Abad, I. (1996). Barbarie y otros relatos. Pocas palabras (in Spanish). Lumen. ISBN 978-84-264-2305-4. Retrieved November 18, 2017.
  11. Houle, Barbara M. (July 23, 2017). "Meet the Chef: Damian Evangelous/Armsby Abbey". telegram.com. Retrieved November 18, 2017.
  12. Journal of the Society of Basque Studies in America. The Society. 1998. p. 44. Retrieved November 18, 2017.
  13. Limiñana, Arthur (April 14, 2016). "24 Hours at the Bayonne Ham Fair". Vice. Retrieved November 18, 2017.

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