Podcast Summary: Más de Uno (Onda Cero)

Episode: Las alubias y los carnavales de Tolosa

Air Date: 17 February 2026
Host: Carlos Alsina
Key Contributors: David de Jorge, Begoña Gómez de la Fuente, Sonia (restaurante El Frontón, Tolosa), Roberto (oyente desde Tolosa), varios colaboradores

Overview

This episode dives with humor and local color into two pillars of Tolosa’s identity: its spirited Carnaval celebrations and its renowned culinary traditions, especially the ubiquitous alubias (beans). Through live calls and engaging banter, the Más de Uno team paints a vivid portrait of how traditions, food, and festivities come together in this Basque town. Listeners are treated to community anecdotes, food talk, and a light-hearted, affectionate look at local customs during Carnaval.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Carnaval: El Sentido del Ingenio en Tolosa

• Carnaval atmosphere: The discussion opens with playful banter about who should have announced that it’s Martes de Carnaval (00:08). The team jokes about costumes and past festivities: “¿Os habéis disfrazado o no? Yo me he disfrazado este fin de semana. La Eli de monja y yo de obispo. ¿Qué os parece? Qué maravilla, qué irreverente.” (01:22, colaborador)

• Tolosa’s Carnaval uniqueness:

  • The celebration is characterized less by luxury and spectacle than by “ingenio” (wit), resourcefulness, and humor:

    “El carnaval de Tolosa se basa en el ingenio. No es un carnaval de lujo, de bailes. Artísticamente hablando, es de ingenio. Salen cuadrillas... pero siempre el denominante del humor. Y no es un carnaval que se hace a base de talonario.” (10:27, Roberto)

  • Costumes are often homemade, topical, and satirical.

• Anecdotes and memorable characters:

  • Roberto recounts iconic costume moments, including creative disguises involving friends dressed up as fishermen (with espaguetis instead of angulas) (11:07), and a famous town figure who constructed props like a plane that “crashed” in a tree (12:45).
  • Humorous local legends are shared, e.g., about a carnicero dressing up as characters as varied as a stork and Buster Keaton.

2. Gastronomía Carnavalesca de Tolosa

• Desayunos potentes:

  • For carnaval “mercenarios”, hearty breakfasts are a must:

    “...por prescripción facultativa es muy bueno desayunar callos…” (13:42, Roberto) “Hoy tenemos callos. Yo a las once y media tengo. Yo desayuno callos con morro.” (14:17, Roberto) “Ayer: huevos fritos con chistorra, jamón. Pura dieta.” (14:32, Roberto)

• Platos típicos y especiales de carnaval:

  • Alubias de Tolosa: The town’s most famous dish, eaten throughout the year, receives special prominence in carnaval menus, often paired with piparras (local peppers) (21:24, Sonia).
  • Dulces de carnaval:
    • “Luego unas bombas de Ezeiza... la bomba clásica” (14:48)
    • “Gorchategui haciendo gorrochas… una especie como de confite relleno de yema, que es una cosa deliciosa” (15:09, colaborador)
    • Torrijas as the festive dessert: “típico de carnaval, pues las torrijas” (20:44, Sonia)
  • Chuletón / chuleta: Tolosa’s meat-roasting tradition, inspired by Argentine parrillas, was brought back by a local who’d traveled to Argentina. Massive steaks became a staple, making Tolosa a beef-lovers’ destination (15:35, Roberto).

• Fun fact:

  • "Aquí la chuleta... ya tiene un kilo, kilo doscientos." (16:46, Roberto)

3. Fiesta en el Pueblo: Más allá del Carnaval

• Ambiente en el restaurante y la ciudad:

  • Sonia describes managing the rush at El Frontón during Carnaval, where alubias and traditional dishes are in demand even in summer, and the restaurant’s unique connection to local pelota games—diners can watch matches through a bar window (22:15).
  • The festive density: “Menuda gente se junta en el frontón, Sonia. Menuda fauna tú. Vaya maravilla.” (22:23, colaborador)
  • Charangas (street bands) and parade floats (carrozas) add to the spectacle: “...hay un espectáculo en la calle. Continuo.” (23:56, Sonia)

• Costume creativity:

  • Disguises often reference local life, from levantadoras de piedra (stone lifters) to profesoras y caseras (24:31).

• Cultural pride and identity:

  • Sense of communal pride, warmth and open invitation:

    “Si no habéis estado nunca en Carnaval, vamos, os invito...” (23:56, Sonia)

  • Tolosa's paper industry tradition is mentioned; it's a "villa netamente papelera," underlining its industrial and festive dual identity (18:37, Roberto).

Notable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• On ingenuity in Carnaval:

  “El carnaval de Tolosa se basa en el ingenio. No es un carnaval de lujo... El denominante es el humor. Y no es un carnaval que se hace a base de talonario.” (10:27, Roberto)

• Community creativity:

  “Un año hizo una avioneta y la empotró… él dentro decía ‘por favor, ¿me pueden decir por dónde voy por el aeropuerto de San Sebastián?’” (12:45, Roberto)

• On local food for breakfast:

  “Hoy tenemos callos. Yo a las once y media tengo. Yo desayuno callos con morro.” (14:17, Roberto)
  “Ayer: huevos fritos con chistorra, jamón... pura dieta.” (14:32, Roberto)

• Tolosa’s legendary chuleta:

  “Aquí la chuleta es... ya tiene un kilo, kilo doscientos.” (16:46, Roberto)

• Invitation to join the festivities:

  “Si no habéis estado nunca en Carnaval, vamos, os invito porque aquí al ser pueblo es un carnaval muy bonito...” (23:56, Sonia)

• On local pride:

  “Vivimos en un sitio que tenemos a una hora la nieve, a 20 minutos la playa… no vivirás con Dios. Y yo no soy bilbaíno.” (18:02, Roberto)

Important Segments & Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment | Highlights | |-----------|---------|------------| | 00:08–04:00 | Introducción lúdica | Banter about Carnaval, costumes, team camaraderie | | 09:15–13:30 | Llamada de Roberto (Tolosa) | Descripción del carnaval ingenioso de Tolosa, anécdotas locales | | 13:35–16:30 | Gastronomía local | Desayunos contundentes, historia del chuletón tolosarra | | 19:40–25:00 | Sonia desde El Frontón | Menú de Carnaval, ambiente del restaurante y frontón, invitación al carnaval |

Tone & Atmosphere

• Playful and warm: Constant joking, teasing about local customs and personalities, affectionate nostalgia.
• Proudly local: Pride in Tolosa’s unique way of celebrating, especially the blend of humor, resourcefulness, and culinary delight.
• Inclusive: Open invitations to listeners; clear descriptions make the spirit accessible even to non-locals.

Conclusion

This episode is a festive, flavorful journey through the heart of Tolosa during Carnaval, filled with laughter, pride, and the irresistible aroma of alubias y chuletón. Through community voices and vibrant storytelling, it celebrates everyday ingenuity and the deep ties between food and tradition.

Memorable takeaway:
“Tolosa es Tolosa, joder, es que me entiendes.” (25:17, colaborador)