“Before God was God and boulders were boulders, the Basques were already Basques.” That Basque saying refers to the Basque people’s very long history, said to predate the arrival of the people who became most of today’s European population. The descendants of Basques who came to this country primarily in the 19th century have a strong cultural identity, which is celebrated each year in Elko, Nevada at the National Basque Festival. This year’s festival runs from July 3rd through 5th. One thing you can count on: there will be plenty of robust Basque cuisine to sample. Continue reading