Txokos for Holiday Gatherings

A stone house with txoko furniture.

What exactly is a txoko (pronounced: choh-koh)? Txoko is a Basque word, which is an area spanning northern Spain and southwestern France that is rich in history. Basque is a language and culture as old as, or even older, than Roman culture and has no language similar to it, so you can bet there are unique traditions as well. One such tradition is the txoko, which means ‘corner’. Essentially, they are small, long buildings that are separate from a house. The most modest and traditional txoko has just a long table with chairs inside. Their purpose is a functional one, as that is where families would have large gatherings to eat and mingle. As time wore on men made  it their domain to mingle and socialize as a gastronomical club, but more recently these clubs have become open to all.Luckily, there are ways to make a txoko fit your personal needs, so why not use one for your own gatherings?

A group of people gathered around a table in a txoko.
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You can reinvent the txoko as an outdoor wine or beer space to have gatherings with friends and eat some good food. Perhaps it can be your formal space for eating outdoors and remaining safe from the environment year-round. For the barbecue fans, you can set a little side station for your grill while staying within ear- or eye-shot of guests sitting inside the txoko. This is especially great for celebrations like the 4th of July where family and friends gather from far and wide.  Although they were traditionally made out of the available materials near their homes, your modern txoko can be made of whatever you want to fit in with your backyard and design aesthetic.

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