Sukaldea is the Basque word for kitchen

The kitchen plays a central role in the family house and hence has the most characteristics. It is normally large, it will be cool in summer and often the only room with heating in the winter.

The two most important elements in a Basque kitchen are: the hearth and the sink.

- The hearth: the fireplace was originally placed at floor level, raised up on a brick range on which the steel baking sheet was placed. The firedogs, lovingly polished, were the pride of the lady of the house. The hood, always grand, rested on two large stone pillars, supporting a oak beam mantelpiece, with the masonry continuing above.

- The sink: in a very particular design, it was built into the thickness of the wall, and was built in two parts. A central sink section, with two stone shelves at either side, where stood the earthenware jug. The water ran out of the sink through a hole in the wall. The floor of the kitchen was paved in stone (slabs 1m2) which were polished by use and the passage of time. Lighting was poor, a single narrow window underneath a breast wall at 1.5m.

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