At the end of August, in Llodio, a mountainous town in Alava, 20 minutes by car from Bilbao, celebrates the festivities in honour of its patron saint, San Roque.
From 15th August onwards, the town dresses up to host one of the most popular celebrations in the town, the popular Day of the Morcillas (black pudding).
Every year, more than 10,000 kilos of black pudding is consumed!
On the 24th of August, all kinds of black pudding can be tasted in bars, txokos, homes and in the street in a thousand different ways. Pintxos, sandwiches, roasts and fried black pudding will be the main attraction of these dates.
The workshops of Llodio are responsible for supplying large quantities of black pudding that could be equivalent to the production of a whole month of the rest of the year.
This tradition of blood and fire dates back more than 400 years, when on the last Sunday in August the brotherhood of the Lord of San Roque held a brotherhood meal and sacrificed rams whose blood was used to make the famous sausage.
What are the ‘garrafas’?
It is popular to accompany black pudding in any of its forms with this typical drink known as ‘Garrafas’. They are white wine slushies, with water, cognac, sugar and lemon, perfect for this season!
The rest of the festive programme also includes multiple activities such as concerts, cultural and sporting events that you can check on the website of the Llodio town council.
