A full stomach doesn’t need to mean an empty wallet as Pamplona’s town centre comes to life on Thurday evenings. PLUS: Our weekly guide to the best pintxos around.
An Introduction to Juevintxos
Katie Sims, June 26 2012
Navarra News
A dastardly play on words for anyone trying to learn the Spanish language. The bubble has burst over all those evening classes spent dreaming about the day you’ll be ordering little plates of Spanish tapas on a perfect Spanish weekend, because they’re actually called pintxos (pronounced “pinchos”) and the main evenings for eating them is Thursday, that is to say jueves – now you get the pun, right?
Much like the long awaited pint after work on a Friday, Pamplona ignites somewhat prematurely on a Thursday as people crowd both inside and out of the small lively bars.
People spill onto streets Calle de Estafeta and Calle San Nicolas, or into la Navarerría, ordering their pintxos and eating them stood up whilst laughing away the week, your head brushing a hanging cured ham, your surroundings covered in cobbles and tradition.
Nearly all the bars fling open their doors and invite you to a glass of wine or caña (a tumbler-sized beer) and a plate of an irresistible pintxo of your choice, all yours for just €2. With this weekly event at the heart of Pamplona’s social scene, more than once you’ll find out the hard way that Thursday is certainly not quite the weekend, as what my friend calls “post-alcohol malaise” makes Friday the longest day of all.
Due to the region’s many resources from sea to valley, the range of pintxos to choose from is vast. There are slices of tomato and olive oil brushed bread with thin Iberico ham and melted local goats cheese, or lightly battered morsels in varying shapes filled with courgette, sweet peppers and garlic. Tiny faux eels called gulas are found garnishing seafood pintxos. Their grey worm-like appearance may cause you to recoil at first, but they’re actually just made from re-modelled fish as real gulas cost nearly as much as solid gold. Quite the treat.
Of course, the traditional tortilla de patatas is a favourite of mine and always unbeatable accompanied by a local red wine. Tastes of paella, shells filled with hake and asparagus, artichokes and locally grown setas (mushrooms), quails eggs, bean dishes... Well, the list is endless and this is where Pintxo of the week comes in, helping you make a decision and try something new on the next Juevintxos.
Now check out our guide to individual juevintxos on offer:
