Why is everyone in love with Basque grilling? This is the question that two world-famous local legends have tried to answer: Aitor Arregi (Elkano*, Getaria, Gipuzkoa) and Bittor Arginzoniz (Asador Etxebarri*, Axpe, Bizkaia). Benjamín Lana, the director of the congress, took part in a discussion with them, "a lucky man" to be with these two stars of the Basque grill.

Lana recalled that the barbecue was a place to be happy in everyday life, but today the world has fallen in love with this form of cooking, which is also the oldest.

But what is Basque barbecue in the Basque Country? Arginzoniz believes that "it is a cultural value that we have, that takes us back to our roots, to the origins that motivate so many Basques. This is the best thing about a simple, very open and transparent cuisine'. Arregi agrees, adding that "we put on the fire what the land gives us, what our parents taught us. If you have lived it with the farmer or the fisherman, it is no longer a culinary act, but one of memories and emotions'.

Speaking of memories and emotions, Arregi is aware that the Basque people are "a very culinary people, we have grown up with the recipes that our mothers and fathers used to prepare for hours on end". Another virtue of the barbecue? Arginzoniz adds: "I think the fact that it is so transparent is very attractive. In all the farmhouses, when there was no electricity or gas, fire was the only solution, and this has been handed down through the years. It is an important part of our culture.

But what is the importance of the product and, more importantly, its origin? For Arginzoniz, it is everything: "The product is the basis of any cuisine, but even more so for the barbecue, which brings out both its virtues and its faults. That's why we can only work with excellent products, wherever they come from. The owner of Etxebarri does not set any limits, "but I do demand the quality that it must have to be cooked on the barbecue". Aitor Arregi believes that 'barbecuing is an act of nudity, in which we describe what we have in the environment. But it also makes a lot of sense to put another latitude, another territory, on our barbecue'.

Barbecuers are either born or made

Reflecting on his beginnings, Bittor Arginzoniz reveals that his greatest secret is that "I started with a great deal of enthusiasm, a universal and immaterial value. If you have that kind of enthusiasm, you work your way up. I have managed to change the concept of how to use the barbecue to grill food that was unthinkable before,' he said, not without a touch of pride. When asked about awards, guides and other recognition, he was categorical: "I'm only interested in the diner having an exceptional experience, that's the best recognition for me. I don't work thinking about stars, suns or moons. This is not a competition and there are people who suffer because they are in one position or another. You have to enjoy cooking in the kitchen and the rest is welcome".

Arregi, for his part, was asked how he managed the transition from a traditional restaurant in a fishing village like Getaria to a steakhouse that attracts customers from all over the world: "It's not easy, but it's important to work from home, away from the noise from outside, to know who is part of this community, this territory. You can't lose that particularity. The solution is always at home, we can't stop being part of this community of seafarers, being family with them. And when they come, you have to love them more than anyone else.

News, firewood and charcoal

In the final part of the interview, Arginzoniz was asked if there was any new product he had fallen in love with. His answer was 'none. First you have to make it excellent and then you start working on the grill. Revolutions do not happen every day. How long will he be at the grill? I'll cook as long as my body can take it, because it's hard work and a lot of sacrifice, and the years don't go by in vain and you lose your faculties. Even though it is a primitive job, you have to be physically and mentally fit,' she replied.

Lana started a debate about the use of charcoal or wood, and the Biscayan grillmaster did not hesitate to jump in: "For me, charcoal gives off very aggressive aromas and masks the flavours of delicate products such as fish, seafood or vegetables. I can understand it for meat, but I wouldn't use charcoal either. Charcoal brings out flavours without masking them, but it requires an infrastructure that is not available everywhere.