Basque Gastronomic Societies

Gastronomic societies are nonprofit cultural organizations. They have members, a president, a founding charter, and statutes that lay down the rules governing their activities. Only members have the right to enter the txoko or society's premises, though they are allowed to bring guests. If they do so, they have to reserve in advance, confirming the total number of people and paying their bill at the end.

If societies are nonprofits, why do people have to pay?

Everyone who comes to a txoko for a meal has to pay a small fee to cover costs such as cleaning, use of the stoves, table linen, and cutlery. They must also note down any drinks taken from the wine cellar—another staple feature—though people can always bring their own food and drinks from the market.

Txokos began in the mid-19th century, when a group of txikiteros (friends who would meet up to drink wine from very small glasses called txikitos) in San Sebastián became "tired of paying for the tiniest drop of wine." They decided to set up their own place, stock it with food and drink, and socialize without being restrained by opening hours. Their decision was also propelled by new legislation that limited opening hours for local bars as a result of pressure from neighborhood residents.

And so, the first society was founded San Sebastián, capital of Gipuzkoa province. Located at 11 Calle Puyuelo (now Fermín Calbetón) in the city's old quarter, it was called La Fraternal and was a society for "eating and singing," as stated in its statutes.

The city's economy was flourishing at the time and, by the end of the 19th century, many similar societies had sprung up in its wake. Among them were the Pescadores de San Sebastián in 1869, Neptuno in 1878, Primero de Abril in 1879, La Unión Obrera in 1880, La Humanitaria in 1892, and Euskalduna in 1893. Besides dealing with association matters, txoko members also made time for leisure and entertainment, though gambling was prohibited, as was any kind of political or religious debate.

La Fraternal unfortunately came to an end when it was destroyed by a fire, but some of its members went on to found the Unión Artesana in 1870. Unión Artesana is the oldest txoko still in existence today, and it members have included well-known figures such as the musician Raimundo Sarriegui, who wrote the famous San Sebastián March (Marcha de San Sebastián). The second longest standing txoko, La Armonía in Pasai Antxo, was founded soon after. According to its regulations, its aim was to "offer members the greatest possible amount of fun and recreation."

While food is at the heart of any Basque txoko that exists today, these organizations were originally founded in the spirit of entertainment—no one realized how important they would be in preserving a culinary tradition. "The society allows for a sort of group therapy that provides relief from daily pressures." Rafael Aguirre, author of the book Popular Societies (Sociedades Populares).

They promoted activities related to sports, culture, festivals, and charitable work, filling a gap left by the government. However, over time, these activities lost traction and enjoying time around the dinner table became the focus.

The Kañoietan society, founded in 1900, began a new phase that saw food become a fundamental part of what these spaces were all about. Interestingly, this society has remained at the same site—the old Peñaflorida mansion—throughout its more than 100 years of existence. The site was one of few to survive the 1813 fire that devastated San Sebastián.

These are the words of Rafael Aguirre, in his book Popular Societies. He perhaps knew the most about the txoko phenomenon, indicating how important these organizations were to the capital city, since they "made a significant contribution to democratizing San Sebastián society by breaking down barriers between classes."

Txokos do not have proprietors—everyone is equal. Their members share interests and form a human connection based on democracy and mutual trust. This motto meant that, back then, craftsmen, doctors, fishermen, lawyers, and merchants alike all shared the same space. Members came from a range of social standings and professions, but differences were not recognized within these societies.

According to Aguirre's research, the concept of societies or txokos spread from San Sebastián's Old Town (Parte Vieja) to other parts of the city and neighboring areas. But it took until 1920 for them to spread throughout Gipuzkoa province.

Their popularity exploded after the Spanish Civil War, and the growing number of txokos opening reached 22 a year between 1973 and 1980, in Gipuzkoa province alone. In another province, Álava, the first societies were founded in 1960 and bore a resemblance to the txokos in Gipuzkoa, while in Biscay province they had their own style, which was closer to clubs in England.

Today, gastronomic societies also exist outside the Basque Country, and not only because of their direct influence on neighboring regions such as Navarre, and cities like Madrid and Barcelona. They also exist in countries like Uruguay and Argentina, where there are large Basque communities. These offshoots keep this culinary legacy alive thousands of miles away.

The historian Alberto Santana makes this point to explain the context in which txokos were founded and why women were forbidden to enter. And they were certainly not allowed to become members. This controversial topic is still debated today, though things have changed a lot since those days.

For example, in 1998, a woman called Aurora Aramburu became the first female txoko president in the Basque Country. She headed up the Casa de Álava txoko for 16 years. Founded in 1974, it was a mixed society made up of people from Álava who lived in San Sebastián. She was a pioneer, setting an example that many women have since followed.

Though times have changed, progress is moving at a slow pace. Breaking away from an inherited structure is complicated and, since txokos are democratic, members must vote on every decision.

In some gastronomic societies, women are only allowed to enter on specific dates and at set times. In others, women may enter the txoko but not the kitchen. And some societies do open their doors to women, but not as fully fledged members. Change is inevitable. "We are moving quicker than a lot of people would like and slower than others want us to," said José Ramón Mendizabal, president of the Gaztelubide txoko (one of the most traditional in San Sebastián) in an interview with the Diario Vasco newspaper in 2018.

The festive nature of these societies has, over time, slowly given way to a purely gastronomic focus. Nevertheless, there is one date in the calendar that would be nothing without these associations taking part.

The Tamborrada celebrations start at midnight on the eve of San Sebastián Day (January 20) and, for 24 hours, the city streets are filled with the sound of drums. The Gaztelubide txoko opens the festival in Plaza de la Constitución (Constitution Square), and the Unión Artesana txoko is in charge of beating the final drums.

The night it begins is all about food and a big meal is organized in every txoko. The establishments are specially decorated for the day, and kitchen service is hired in, much like a restaurant. Members who take part in the drumming get dressed after the meal, either as chefs or soldiers—the two sections that any group taking part in the procession must have. They raise a toast with their friends and companions before the parade begins.