For gourmets and epicures, learning about the gastronomy of the Basque country is a key part of an enjoyable stay at the Harrieta Estate.

By consulting our holiday residence staff, you may obtain well-informed advice on how to taste high-quality local foods, as well as recommendations of where to eat in the best local restaurants, occasionally off the beaten track.

Local food products in the immediate vicinity of the Lake Harrieta Estate
Ardi Gasna: the famous goat cheese!

Ardi Gasna: pure goat cheese.

For six months of the year, a flock of 500 goats occupies Harrieta's pasture lands.

Following an ancestral tradition, its shepherd undertakes the seasonal migration on foot, and every year at the start of May, he leads his animals to their summer grazing grounds on the nearby Iraty mountain.

His cheeses can be bought on site at Harrieta.

Foie gras, duck fillets and duck confit

Foies gras, confits, duck fillets and prepared duck

In Saint-Jean-le-Vieux, Legarretenia, a farm near the Harrieta Estate, is a family agricultural enterprise that has done extensive fowl raising for many generations. Its production is transformed, cooked and sold on site or by mail-order. Its production is based on livestock raised in the traditional fashion (slow growth, fattening up with maize, etc. ), in compliance with the specifications of the Idoki Charter .

This standard of quality is your guarantee that you will consume only the best products.
 
Ibaoïna Bayonne Ham


Ibaoïna Ham

The House of Mayté in Saint-Jean-le-Vieux has locally produced hams of exceptionally high quality. The fame of this pork cuts producer, which has been in business since 1900, extends far beyond the reaches of the Basque country.

For more info on Bayonne hams, their history and origins, how they are produced, and some traditional recipes, visit the Official Bayonne Ham Site
Irouléguy Wines

Irouléguy AOC Wines at the Brana Estate

This mountain winery arranged in steep, narrow terracing with an average slope of 65%, extends across 23 hectares on the sunny flanks of Mount Aradoy, which overlooks the valley of Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port.
The Brana family has come to uphold the ancestral wine-growing tradition through the rebirth of the white Irouléguy wine (Petit Courbu Gros Manseng) and the creation of a line of red wines true to its origins (Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Tannat).

To learn more, visit the Etienne Brana site

To prepare for your visit

There are a number of sites that present the gastronomic attractions of the Basque country. We recommend the following:

Bonnes tables 64 (http://www.bonnestables64.com/index.php?langue=2 )

Basque country food products and regional products: http://www.terroir-basque.fr/