Txin-txin to Basque culture! From Aurresku dances and pelota games to pintxos and the rhythmic beats of the txalaparta, the Treasure Valley offers a rich taste of Basque life. Idaho boasts one of the largest Basque communities in the United States, with roots stretching back more than a century. Here, Basque traditions are alive and well, celebrated through festivals, cuisine, music, and gathering places like the Basque Block. This tight-knit community preserves its language, customs, and spirit while sharing its vibrant heritage with locals and visitors alike, making Boise a true hub of Basque-American culture.
Cecilia Arritola is proud of her Basque heritage and loves the rich family connections it has helped her form. And of course, learning how to cook really incredible food. “My Dad's family is Basque,” she explained with a smile. “Both sets of great grandparents (Pedro and Maria Arritola and Trinidad and Eulogio) immigrated from the Basque Country to Nevada, Idaho, and Eastern Oregon in the early 1900s.”
As we sat across from one another, I listened to her share family stories passed down from generations before her. Stories of love, overcoming adversity, hard work, and above all—delicious meals shared with large groups of family and laughter. She continued, “My dad's parents, my beloved Amuma Felisa and Aitita Paul, were both born here in the states.” Felisa’s family ran a boarding house in the Jordan Valley of Oregon after moving from Boise in 1914. Boarding houses like theirs were essential to the growing Basque community. More than just a place to lay their heads, boarding houses were a pinnacle of food, music, dancing, and socializing, much like they were used to in the Basque Country. And while a large portion of the early Basque settlers were sheepherders, Cecilia shares that it wasn’t something that came with them from the Basque country. “Most Basque immigrants who came here didn't actually have a background in sheepherding, however they had strong work ethic, and could work for months at a time in the U.S., oftentimes to send money back home to family.”
“I love the sense of family, belonging, culture that I grew up with,” something that she carries forward with her own children. Sadly, her father passed away shortly before the birth of her oldest son, Nano, but his memory lives on in the traditions he helped pass down. “I show them pictures of my dad (their Aitita) and tell them stories and memories of family gatherings. My younger son, Luka, reminds me so much him,” Cecila reminisced fondly. “His intensity for life, wittiness, and very similar personalities. And my older son looks so much like my Dad. What an incredible gift that they are carrying on some of these traits, without even knowing.”
As she spoke of her family—her father, aitita, amuma, tias, tios— the energy around us filled with the vibrance of their spirits. That sense of family and belonging that came with them from so many thousands of miles across the sea lives on with her children, nieces, siblings, nephews, and cousins.
Tony Eiguren, co-owner of Boise’s Basque Market, shared very similar sentiments as Cecilia. Among them, the importance of culture, gathering, and delicious food. Alongside his wife, Tara, the couple purchased the Market in 2006 from the original owner Dan Ansotegui, who opened its doors in December 2000.
While many things have changed in the 25 years since its first opening, the vision remains the same. “We wanted people to feel as though they were in the Basque Country when visiting us,” Tony explained. They’ve succeeded in their goal by incorporating authentic words and phrases, family-style seating, and a community-centered atmosphere—although concepts like shared dining tables took a little convincing for Boise locals at first. Over the years, the Market has become an integral part of Boise’s Basque heritage, supporting local events, offering a taste of the Iberian Peninsula, and even sending employees to the Basque Country so they can share their experiences with customers first-hand.
The Market is famous for its paella, croquetas, and frozen sangria, but Tony’s personal favorite is the nostalgic arroz con leche, a rice pudding that transports him back to childhood when he and his brother would enthusiastically devour every last bite, sometimes leaving none for their father.
Just across the way from The Basque Market is the ever-delicious Bar Gernika, another one of Dan Ansotegui’s legacies. Named after Gernika, Boise’s sister city in the Basque Country, the bar captures the spirit of a traditional Basque gathering spot, offering good food, drinks, and a warm, welcoming atmosphere that draws in an abundance of repeat customers. After working there for nine years himself, Jeff May purchased the bar in January 2008 and has continued to keep that original spirit alive. To this day, Jeff still loves the simple pleasures of the place, with his go-to order being a classic tuna melt with fries.
From Cecilia Arritola’s cherished family memories to the lively tables of the Basque Market and the welcoming atmosphere of Bar Gernika, Boise’s Basque community comes alive in countless ways. Each story encompasses a shared devotion to family, food, and culture, values carried across the sea and throughout generations. Whether it’s through a home-cooked arroz con leche, a plate of paella with friends, or simply gathering for conversation and laughter at a local bar, the Basque spirit endures. In Boise and beyond, these traditions connect past and present, inviting everyone to experience the warmth, vibrancy, and enduring legacy that is Basque heritage. Txin-txin!