What is in season in Bilbao. and what to order when the market changes.
Spring
- White asparagus from Navarra: April to June at the Ribera and Ensanche markets in Bilbao, fat hand-peeled spears for the canonical tortilla de esparrago and as a starter at the city's bistros.
- Kokotxas (cod or hake throats): Spring is the lighter kokotxas season at Bilbao counters, with hake kokotxas in pil pil sauce a Mina or Casa Rufo signature.
- Anchoa de Bermeo: April to June is the anchoa season for Bermeo and Santurtzi catches, salted, vinegared and served at every Casco Viejo bar in Bilbao.
Summer
- Marmitako (tuna stew): Summer is the bonito (Atlantic bonito tuna) season for Cantabrian boats; marmitako, the fisherman's stew with potatoes, peppers and tuna, shows up at Bilbao tabernas July to September.
- Bonito de Bermeo: June to October, the Bermeo bonito catch fills the Ribera fish counters in Bilbao and lands on Casa Urola, Galerna and Mina tasting menus.
Autumn
- Setas (wild mushrooms): September to November is the Basque mushroom season, with perretxikos, boletus and rovellons across Bilbao kitchens; Cafe Bar Bilbao runs the seasonal stewed wild mushrooms.
- Hare and partridge (caza): October to December is game season, with Galerna's hare-and-pigeon tasting menu and Bilbao's old-school dining rooms running estofado de liebre.
Winter
- Bacalao al pil pil: December marks the cod-stocking season for Christmas bacalao al pil pil, the Bilbao-invented sauce of emulsified garlic-oil-chili that defines the city's Christmas table.
- Talo de txistorra: Talo, the Basque cornmeal bread, fills the Santo Tomas market in Bilbao on 21 December, wrapped around txistorra (fresh chorizo) with txakoli pours from rural stalls.
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