Iconic Tapas Dishes

An olive, a chili, an anchovy, and a toothpick: that's all you need to make a "gilda," the classic "pintxo" from the city of San Sebastian in Gipuzkoa—home of these Spanish snacks.

Some say that it originated in Casa Vallés, others in Bar Martínez, but both are bars in San Sebastian. On one thing, however, everyone agrees: that it was named in tribute to the actress Rita Hayworth, who played the title character in the film "Gilda," because it's "green, salty, and a bit spicy."

Everything points to this tapas dish originating in Madrid, although exactly who created it is a matter of debate. Various taverns of the time are credited with its invention, including Casa Pellico, La Casona, and Vinícola Aurora Barranco. Nonetheless, it is a dish that can be enjoyed all over Spain.

The ingredients are diced potatoes cut into large chunks and fried, and a special sauce, the recipe for which is a secret closely guarded by many restaurants. Some of them have even registered their versions, but it invariably includes a touch of spicy paprika and has a creamy texture. There is some controversy over whether the recipe should include tomato, and in cities such as Barcelona and Valencia, the dish usually comes with aioli too.

This tapas dish is typical of bars in Madrid, although it is also found in Andalusia, and is made with strips of deep-fried, battered cod that are usually served with red pepper.

Its name, which means "little soldiers of Pavia," comes from the fact that the dish resembles the uniform worn by the Hussars of Pavia regiment, who wore yellow and orangey-red combat jackets. The regiment was founded in 1684 but renamed Hussars of Pavia in 1844.

This is the most common tapas dish in any bar in Spain: olives, potato chips, and canned mussels. Early evening drinks would not be the same without some or all of these snacks, served with a beer or a glass of wine.

It's the slight saltiness of the olives, the crunch of the thin potato chips fried in olive oil, and the hint of paprika and vinegar in the marinaded mussels.

These are 3 elements that can always be found in Spanish store cupboards and usually kick off any tapas session. These simple, timeless flavors are still a staple in every bar.

These shrimp fritters are a tapas dish from Cádiz, made from shrimps, wheat and chickpea flour, scallions, and parsley. It is called a "tortillita" (little omelet) despite the fact that it does not contain any egg and is actually a thin, crispy fritter.

Its likely predecessor was called a "gachuela," a type of fritter with fish or vegetables that was made in Cádiz. However, the use of chickpea flour is the legacy of Genoese sailors. They baked cakes using this type of flour and would frequent the port of San Fernando, where this dish is said to originate.

These are one of the most popular tapas in Spanish cuisine, although they actually originated in France. Emilia Pardo Bazán wrote in "The Old Spanish Kitchen" that "the French version is huge, hard, and graceless. Here, on the other hand, they are well made. The croquettes are so soft and smooth that they melt in your mouth."

References to this little morsel of béchamel with minced ham fried in breadcrumbs were first recorded during the reign of Louis XIV, although it was apparently Antonin Carême who gave it its crunchy coating, in 1817. Nowadays, there are dozens of versions with different fillings.

There are a great many myths about this dish, which is so popular in Spain that it has become known as "Spanish omelet." However, the most likely story suggests that it originated in the late 18th or early 19th century, as a result of people falling on hard times.

It's made with eggs and potatoes: 2 modest and inexpensive ingredients. Later, onion was added, prompting the emergence of 2 opposing camps: the "sincebollistas" (the "without-onions") and the "concebollistas" (the "with-onions"). With or without onion, and cooked until solid or even "runny," as it is made in parts of Galicia, this simple, delicious dish is found in bars all over Spain.

This is a small dish that combines one fish prepared in 2 different ways: salted anchovy and fresh anchovy in vinegar. These 2 flavors work so well together that they are known as "matrimonio" (marriage).

Canned anchovies are one of the most exquisite preserved foods in Spain, and fresh anchovies in vinegar are among the simplest and easiest to make: you marinate raw anchovy fillets in vinegar, garlic, and parsley, and add olive oil.

Together they form the perfect mouthful, and are commonly found in bars all over Spain, especially between April and late summer, when this tiny but tasty blue fish is in season.

These pieces of bacon, generally fried and accompanied by their crispy skin, are little bites of heaven. They are experiencing something of a revival and have become the star dish on bar and restaurant menus.

To create the perfect "torrezno," you need to start with a high-quality bacon, preferably Iberian. When fried, the rind puffs up, giving it a crispy texture; the fat becomes creamy; and the meat acquires an incomparable juiciness— a combination of flavors that creates an unforgettable tapas dish.

The first written reference to this "Russian salad" was in an English recipe book from 1845, attributed to Francatelli. However, by 1815, Antonin Carême had already written a recipe for a salad made from vegetables and mixed with mayonnaise. Although not originally Spanish, this cold dish has become one of the country's most popular recipes.

Cooked vegetables, tuna, egg, and mayonnaise are the ingredients of the classic, basic salad, although there is a version to suit every taste. Some regions even make it with pickled vegetables, for example in Murcia, where it's one of their main tapas dishes.