A Spanish omelet in Tenerife fits perfectly into several articles about Canarian gastronomy and on the culinary edge with mainland Spain.
Dishes that were prepared on the mainland and traveled with seafaring ships from the 18th century have also reached the Canary Islands and other Spanish-speaking countries in Central America. One such dish is the tortilla de papas—also known as tortilla de patatas—the widely recognized potato omelet.
The tortilla de patatas is an egg omelet to which chopped potatoes are added. It is one of the most famous, if not the most popular and emblematic dishes of Spanish cuisine, found in every bar or restaurant across the country. The original tortilla is made with eggs and cooked potatoes, a pinch of salt, and fried in vegetable oil.
There are many variations on the basic recipe. For instance, adding onions is a more popular preparation than the base version. Spices are also frequently experimented with, leading to tortillas being prepared in hundreds of different ways. The Spanish word tortilla is phonetically pronounced tortiya.
A recipe against famine
In the chronicles of the Indies, an egg omelet was already described in 1519, and it was well known in Europe thanks to the Spanish conquistadors and in America by the Aztecs, who prepared and sold it in the markets of Tenochtitlán. In ancient texts, the Mesoamerican omelet was often referred to as “cornbread.”
The book La patata en España, written by scientist Javier López Linage from the Centro de Ciencias Humanas y Sociales, confirms that the documented reference to the potato omelet comes from Villanueva de la Serena (Extremadura) in the 18th century. The work refers to documents in which the potato omelet is mentioned in this location in 1798. López Linage attributes the invention to Joseph de Tena Godoy and the Marquis of Robledo, two landowners from Villanueva de la Serena, who were seeking a cheap food source to alleviate famine, using the potato as the basis.
In the 18th and 19th centuries
The first thing they thought of was making potato bread, but instead of baking it in an oven, they fried it in a pan. With the help of some local women, the idea evolved into frying sliced potatoes in local olive oil without flour and adding beaten eggs, which surprisingly resulted in this delicacy.
Another well-known document referring to the potato omelet comes from Navarra. It is an anonymous letter addressed to the Cortes de Navarra in 1817, which described the miserable conditions in which farmers lived compared to the inhabitants of Pamplona and Navarra.
Variations on one theme
There are as many ways to make a Spanish omelet—a tortilla—as there are cooks. Some believe the potatoes should be boiled instead of fried in oil (either olive oil or sunflower oil), and that they should rest in the beaten eggs for a while after all the cooking oil is drained, so they become soggy and gain the right consistency.
Pincho de tortilla is often served in Spanish bars in the shape of a triangle. It can also be eaten as tapas, in a sandwich (bocadillo de tortilla española), on a skewer, as dice (Argentina and Uruguay), or in small portions as part of a picada(brochette). Additional ingredients can be added to the basic recipe, such as onions, bell peppers—which are also often used as garnish—chorizo, mushrooms, or soy sauce.
More Variations
There are other variants of this Spanish omelet in Tenerife made with different ingredients, such as tortilla paisana, which includes chorizo, red pepper, and peas in addition to potatoes and eggs.
Another variation is the stuffed omelet, which can be a thick omelet cut open, or two thin omelets placed on top of each other. In between the two parts is a filling, much like a sandwich, which can include vegetables, salad, ham, cheese, bacon, or surimi.
In Madrid, tortillas bravas are served with a spicy sauce similar to that of patatas bravas. These are usually small in size. In other provinces, they are often accompanied by mayonnaise, but curry sauces and dressings can also be added.
Nutritional Value
It is recommended that the Spanish omelet be compact and well-cooked. According to the nutritional report from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the energy intake of 100g of omelet is approximately 120 kcal. A 100g serving contains about 3.2g of protein, 4.8g of lipids, 15.2g of carbohydrates, and 1.6g of fiber. The USDA estimates the cholesterol content of a commercial omelet at approximately 44 mg per 100g, which is only 15% of the recommended amount for a low-cholesterol diet.
Read more about ‘Food’ [HERE].
Pixabay © Photography
A Spanish omelet in Tenerife ©
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