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Tolosa | Cidre · Gastronomy
The history of around thirty urban cider houses in Tolosa
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Tolosaldea has been linked to the world of cider since ancient times. There were numerous cider makers in Tolosaldea, and cider was produced for home consumption in many other farmhouses.
Tolosa is a good example of this. At the beginning of the 20th century, there were up to 38 urban cider houses in the Old Town: Aranbururena, Atodo, Begiristain, Ibiaga, Otegi, Usandizagarena…
The only one still standing today –although it has been closed to the public since 1971– is the century-old Txaparro cider house.
Located in Tolosa’s Letxuga street, it belongs to the Garikano brothers, and maintains its original appearance.
Several of these cider houses were cider presses and others would sell cider. The goods were brought there by oxen: the apples in sacks and the cider in barrels.
Groups of friends and workers would get together for lunch with cider and visit different cider houses. The number of drinks for each diner was written down on the barrel itself with a piece of chalk. There were no toilets either, and rumour has it that some people used to urinate on themselves.
Customs are changing, and now the place to socialise is in bars, completely displacing cider houses.
A dramatised guided tour
As part of Sagardofest, the cider festival, guided tours have been held to discover this history and visit the old sites of these cider houses.
In the last edition we enjoyed a dramatised guided tour. Led by Intujai Teatro, who impersonated “kuxkuxeros” (nosy people)), sellers, “alprojas” (lazy people) and locals, we listened to curiosities, comments, stories and verses about Tolosa’s urban cider houses. And, of course, we ended the tour with a tasting of Tolosaldea’s ciders.
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