Pintxos Quiz: San Sebastián's Bar-Top Bites and Old Town
This pintxos quiz hops between the crowded bars of San Sebastián's old town. Play 10 interactive questions on the word meaning to pierce, the Gilda with olive, anchovy and pepper, its film star name, bar-hopping called txikiteo, counting toothpicks to pay, hot pintxos ordered from the board, txakoli wine poured from a height and the city's many Michelin stars.
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🎯 Daily Trivia Challenge • 🧠 10 Questions • ⏱️ 150 Seconds
City
Which city is famous for pintxos?
Region
Which region is San Sebastián in?
Word
What does pintxo come from?
Gilda
What is in a classic Gilda pintxo?
Star
Who was the Gilda named after?
Crawl
What is Basque bar-hopping with small drinks called?
Pay
How did some bars traditionally count what you ate?
Hot
How are hot pintxos usually ordered?
Wine
Which Basque white wine is poured from a height?
Stars
What is San Sebastián known for among chefs?
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Scroll down to see the explanation for each question.
Explanations: answer key for all 10 questions
- Q1: Which city is famous for pintxos?
Answer: San Sebastián
Its Basque name is Donostia.
- Q2: Which region is San Sebastián in?
Answer: Basque Country
Basque cuisine is world famous.
- Q3: What does pintxo come from?
Answer: A word meaning to pierce
Many are held with toothpicks.
- Q4: What is in a classic Gilda pintxo?
Answer: Olive, anchovy and pickled pepper
It is salty and spicy.
- Q5: Who was the Gilda named after?
Answer: Rita Hayworth's film character
The film came out in 1946.
- Q6: What is Basque bar-hopping with small drinks called?
Answer: Txikiteo
Friends move from bar to bar.
- Q7: How did some bars traditionally count what you ate?
Answer: By counting toothpicks
Honesty was expected.
- Q8: How are hot pintxos usually ordered?
Answer: From a board or menu, then cooked
They come fresh from the kitchen.
- Q9: Which Basque white wine is poured from a height?
Answer: Txakoli
Pouring adds a little sparkle.
- Q10: What is San Sebastián known for among chefs?
Answer: Many Michelin stars for its size
Fine dining thrives there.
Toothpicks, Txakoli and Bar-Hopping in the Old Town
Pintxos are the small snacks piled on bar counters in San Sebastián, called Donostia in Basque, in Spain's Basque Country. The name comes from a word meaning to pierce, because many are held together with a toothpick on a slice of bread. The old town, the Parte Vieja, is packed with pintxos bars.
The classic Gilda skewers an olive, an anchovy and a pickled green pepper. It was named after Rita Hayworth's character in the 1946 film Gilda, because it was green, salty and a bit spicy. Many bars also offer hot pintxos ordered from a board and cooked fresh.
Friends go bar-hopping, called txikiteo, eating one or two pintxos in each place. Some bars once counted toothpicks to work out the bill. Txakoli, a crisp Basque white wine, is poured from a height to add sparkle. San Sebastián also has many Michelin stars for a city of its size.
What This Quiz Teaches
Food fans will enjoy these questions.
- What pintxos are
- Which classics to try
- How people eat them
- How bars charge
- Which drinks go with them
Did You Know?
- La Concha beach curves beside the old town.
- Basque cider houses serve cider straight from barrels.
- Cheesecake from one San Sebastián bar became world famous.
- Gastronomic societies are private Basque cooking clubs.
- Bars get busiest in the evening before dinner.
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