In loving memory
The meaning of the Basque word AMONA is Grandmother.
The Basque Country is the name given to the homeland of the Basque people. It is located on the north of Spain and west of the Pyrenees it bestrides the border between France and Spain on the Atlantic coast. The language spoken in these regions is known as Basque or Euskera.
In the Spanish side of the Basque Country, (Southern Basque Country) any small plate is considered a pintxo (pronounced peen-tcho). Throughout the rest of Spain, they are called tapas or pinchos, with the word pintxo reserved for any tapa that is skewered or can be eaten in only a few bites. The word pintxo comes from the verb pinchar, meaning to skewer or puncture.
The difference between the pintxo and tapa is complex and largely depends on the context and geographical location of Spain where they are served.
The art of pintxos first developed in the South Basque Country, specifically in the town of San Sebastian, (Donostia), as their interpretation of the traditional Spanish tapa.
Pintxos and tapas are an opportunity for imagination & creativity to come alive. They embody everything you can possibly love about food: beauty, flavour, imagination, fresh ingredients & community. Pintxos and tapas about mingling, talking, sharing and most of all savouring. You do not eat pintxos or tapas alone. You eat them with your family & neighbours, with old friends or co-workers, new acquaintances or strangers, any day, for no particular reason or for all those special occasions.
Indulge on a sip beer or a good wine & a pintxo or tapa, you will become as passionate as we are about our food.
AMONA is a living tribute to Carmen Azabal Martin (1930-2002), our beloved Mother and Grandmother, her recipes are the foundations upon we create all of the food we cook in our kitchen, our loved Basque Country and Spain in general, as all of them individually and collectively have provided the inspiration, the passion & the legacy of our food.
