In 2014, the family sold 600 grams (1.3 pounds) of their Basque Idiazabal cheese for €13,050, or approximately $14,000.

Traditional food tells a sensory history of Basque country that is unique and integral to the culture. Family recipes are persevered and passed down through the generations.

As a master chef and lover of Basque cuisine, José Andrés shares some of his favorite picks from the Folklife Festival Marketplace.

This relatively simple custard filled cake has a dedicated following within Basque communities.

Eight months ago, our Ondarre homestead had a pleasant visit from none other than researchers from the Smithsonian Institution in Washington D.C.!

“Alright, everybody! Txotx!” With this exclamation, Tim Prendergast (beverage director at ANXO Cidery & Pintxos Bar) flips a lever on a large oak cask

This recipe for Basque-style meat-stuffed peppers appeared in the 1991 Smithsonian Institution Press publication Smithsonian Folklife Cookbook, compiled by Katherine and Thomas Kirlin.

To celebrate the Smithsonian Folklife Festival’s Peru program, my aunt Isa and my uncle Lucho were kind enough to work through a couple of Lucho’s family recipes on a recent stormy evening.

This potato dish covered in a creamy yellow sauce, served alongside a hard-boiled egg, lettuce, and olives, derives its name from the town of Huancayo, where many of the ingredients grow abundantly.

As I walked around the Festival, my legs almost took on a life of their own, forcing me toward the Afro-Peruvian Music and Dance tent, where the sound of the resonating cajónes intermingled with intricate guitar figurations and the powerful yet warm voice