11 oct, 2023

Eat well in Navarre in autumn

You just love eating well and we know it. So we’re going to tell you everything you need to know for that perfect gastronomic getaway to Navarre in autumn.

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Enjoy eating well?

If so, your visit here will feel short. Navarrese cuisine has close ties with the territory, the rural environment and quality seasonal products. There are so many possibilities that you’ll find it hard to cover all the options at your fingertips in just one weekend. So you might as well just start planning a longer break or think about coming back again a few more times.

​​​​​​​Below, we offer you the best route so you foodies can try all the indispensable Navarrese dishes and products on a gastronomic trip to delight your palate. A quick warning: don’t carry on reading unless you want your mouth to start watering!

plato de hongos

Going out for pintxos in Pamplona

We’ll begin our adventure with one of Pamplona’s great gastronomic attractions: going out for pintxos. Pintxos are similar in size to tapas, but they are more elaborate gastronomic creations which serve as appetisers. You may find the word written in bars with its Spanish spelling: pinchos. The word comes from the verb ‘pinchar’ (to pierce): initially, they were skewered on a toothpick, and some bars still present them that way.

gente de pinchos

You simply have to set aside a day for your pintxo route in Pamplona’s historical city centre (“vieja Iruña”) and discover its lively atmosphere before lunch and dinner. Lots of people choose the old part of the city to meet up with their cuadrilla (group of friends) and catch up on their latest news while having their favourite drink and a few tasty bites which are nothing less than haute cuisine in miniature.  

​​​​​​​By the way, don't forget to share all the photos of these delicious miniature dishes on your social media!

Get your basket, we’re going mushroom picking!

We’ll continue our journey heading north to find one of the great gastronomic stars of the Navarrese autumn: wild mushrooms. Virtually all the wonderful forests in Navarre’s more mountainous valleys are home to these culinary delights. But bear in mind that you can’t go mushroom picking everywhere because we need to ensure sustainable collection and preserve the environment.

​​​​​​​So the best thing you can do is visit one of our mycological parks, such as the one in Ultzama or Erro-Roncesvalles, get a pass and join one of the outings they organise with professional guides. A unique experience in which, in addition to experiencing the thrill of finding mushrooms, you’ll learn a lot about mycology and have the chance to immerse yourself in the magical colours of Navarre’s forests in autumn.

gente por el bosque cogiendo setas

Grill and cider houses. Who’s up for cider and steak?

The valleys in the north and northwest of Navarre, with their characteristically lush green pastures, are also the ideal place for those who enjoy a good charcoal-grilled rib-eye steak. In the traditional grill houses, they manage to bring out all the flavour of the food thanks to their mastery preparing the fire with beech wood and cooking the meat. And a good Navarra wine isn’t the only option: you can accompany the meat with locally produced cider.

​​​​​​​Another good idea is to book a table at a cider house and revel in the atmosphere that the groups of friends (cuadrillas) and families generate around the barrels. They’re great places for any celebration where you want to enjoy a lively atmosphere and good food.

Let your nose lead the way and try Piquillo peppers from Lodosa or truffles from Metauten.

The arrival of autumn also heralds the beginning of the season of another Navarrese product with a Designation of Origin: Lodosa Piquillo peppers. If you go to Puente La Reina, Lodosa, Mendavia or San Adrián, you’ll notice an unmistakable aroma which will awaken your taste buds. That’s the smell of delicious Piquillo peppers roasting over firewood. Here it’s traditional for whole families to roast, peel them and jar them so there are always peppers there waiting for them in the pantry whatever the time of year.  

​​​​​​​If you don’t have the chance to take part in this family-based activity, you can always buy some in a gourmet store and relive your visit as you eat them when you get back home.

In Tierra Estella, in addition to peppers and delicious roast suckling pig, you’ll also find a true culinary gem the season for which is in full swing: truffles. Take a guided tour of a truffle plantation or visit the Metauten Truffle Museum to learn how to look for this precious fungus and, of course, taste it in different gastronomic creations.

Let the quality of Navarra wine amaze you

We’ll continue our route through the Central Zone. There we’ll find the wineries in the final days of the wine harvest. It’s a magical time: the fruits of a whole year taking care of the vineyards are collected and in the villages you can perceive that characteristic aroma of must, which is beginning to ferment into wine in the winepresses.

One of the star products of the Navarrese wineries is rosé wine and one of the best places to fall in love with its colour and flavour is San Martín de Unx, a village that sets the standard when it comes to producing rosés. Rosé Day is celebrated there in June and you can visit organic wineries, such as Máximo Abete, any time of the year. And those who appreciate organic, sustainable viticulture will just love Navarre because many of its wineries offer a wide range of organic wine tourism experiences.

Very close to San Martín de Unx lies Olite. This town is famous for its Royal Palace and for being the wine capital of Navarre. Every year it hosts the traditional Wine Harvest Festival in which the start of the harvest is celebrated and Navarra Designation of Origin wines are promoted.

​​​​​​​There are also quite a few wineries here with wine tourism activities, such as discovering wine-related essences in a room with 46 aromas, or there’s one where you can see one of the only two OVUM barrels in all of Spain. This is an ovoid barrel in which the liquid is in continuous motion, giving the drink a very characteristic velvety texture.

If you come to see the wineries, you’ll discover some unique jewels which have gained international recognition. To learn more about the world of wine, we encourage you to visit one of the many Navarrese wineries and enjoy the delicious wines this land produces at the tastings held as the finishing touch to many activities.

Don’t miss the chance to try migas in Ujué

While you’re in the area, we recommend you visit the beautiful village of Ujué, which overlooks the surrounding area, offering some stunning views, and is considered one of the most beautiful villages in Spain. It’s famous for its migas de pastor (shepherd's breadcrumbs), made on a wood fire, an example of an economic dish which makes the most of leftovers and is very much in line with today’s circular economy and sustainability.

Indulge in this traditional shepherd's dish as you take in views of a good chunk of Navarre's geography. Make the most the opportunity and try some delicious lamb cutlets, worthy of an authentic royal banquet.

A classic stew, Sangüesa pochas beans

And to complete the tour, we’ll head to Sangüesa, where you can admire the magnificent Romanesque doorway of the Santa María Church and then satisfy your appetite with a good serving of hot pochas beans, a typical dish made with a local white bean which is highly prized in the kitchen. This pulse is seasonal because it’s eaten fresh, which gives it a delicate flavour and a creamy, buttery texture.

Navarrese cheeses with Designation of Origin

If you’re one of those people who can’t resist trying different cheeses, you’ll have the chance to sink your teeth into cheeses from two Designations of Origin in Navarre:

  • Roncal: the first cheese in Spain to be awarded its own D.O., back in 1981. This cheese is named after the place where it’s produced: a beautiful village at the foot of the Pyrenees and birthplace of the famous tenor Julián Gayarre.
  • Idiazabal: which shares the D.O. with the Basque Country. Like Roncal cheese, it’s made with raw ewe's milk.

In 2022, the award for the best cured cheese in Spain went to Infernuko Gasna, a cheese from the Idiazabal D.O. made in the Baztan Valley with milk from latxa sheep, a local breed whose milk is also used to make Roncal cheese. For more information on these cheeses, see our article for cheese lovers.

​​​​​​​You'll find these cheeses in the dessert section of the menus at lots of restaurants to round off a good meal. And if you have more of a sweet tooth, you should check out our post about a sugarier tour of Navarre.

AUTUMN FOOD FESTIVALS

Take a good look at the dates you’ll be visiting to see if they coincide with events such as the Gastronomic game days in Baztan, Stew and Wine week in Pamplona or Inverdura in Tudela.

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