ORBIS city intelligence

Buying in Biarritz: Ham, Peppers and the Table Between Them

Two shops make the Basque table here. One cures the ham and the other holds everything eaten with it. Buy from both and you have a meal rather than a souvenir.

Maison Montauzer: ask for the cure length, not just the name S1

Ibaïama ham here is aged more than twenty months. Bayonne ham is commonly sold at nine to twelve, so the cure length is the thing to ask about rather than the region on the label.

Ask whether the cut can be vacuum-packed for travel and how long it keeps once opened. Decide between a whole leg and a sliced pack before you reach the counter, because they are different purchases.

Maison Arostéguy: the peppers are the thing to look for S2

Piment d'Espelette is the Basque chilli with its own appellation, and a Basque grocer is where it is bought properly rather than from an airport shelf. Ask which form suits the way you actually cook, since the powder and the whole dried pods behave differently.

Gift boxes are assembled here, so say what the recipient actually cooks before letting a box be chosen for you. Ask about weight limits if the box includes oil or preserves.