Snack · Assembled

Pinchos (Small Skewered Bites)

Photo: Annie Spratt / Unsplash · Unsplash License

You're often trusted to count your own toothpicks to pay the bill.

Small bites of bread topped with everything from ham to seafood to peppers, held together with a toothpick, laid out along Basque country bar counters for grabbing as you move between spots.

Why it's made this way: The toothpick isn't just practical — traditionally, the pile of used toothpicks left on your plate is literally how the bartender tallies what you owe.