all about the origin of the essential Basque cake

Posted on 20/03/2023 16:09

Update on 20/03/2023 16:38

Video length: 6 min.

FRANCE 2

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In the southwest of France, the famous Basque cake has become an essential dessert of the region. This family recipe was born in the 18th century, in Cambo-les-Bains.

It is a round and golden pastry, the meeting between a crunchy shortcrust pastry and a soft pastry cream. In the Basque Country, it is said that there are as many versions as there are families. For many, the Basque cake is above all a story of heritage. The recipe and its secrets are often passed down from generation to generation. “It’s a recipe that is copied onto a piece of envelope, which is a little bit of the torch. It’s something that will be passed on to my daughters or other people in the family, and the idea it is that it is perpetuated”testifies Olivier Etcheverlepo.

Marianne Hirigoyen, the illustrious creator of the Basque cake

To better understand the origin of this emblem of Basque gastronomy, let yourself be guided by Jean Salabery in the alleys of Cambo-les-Bains (Pyrénées-Atlantiques). This retired merchant cultivates the story of a young visionary pastry chef, Marianne Hirigoyen.

In 1830, she opened the first pastry shop in the region, at the foot of a house. She notably sells a shortbread biscuit, the ancestor of the Basque cake, and the success is immediate. Over the centuries, Marianne Hirigoyen’s biscuit has become an essential dessert in all the pastries of the region. It is found filled with cherry jam or cream.