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“On break, we’re going down to the lobby to eat tortillas. Today is ‘Tortilla Day,’” Cecilia, our Spanish teacher, informed us.
When Vincent and I had entered the community center earlier, we were overtaken by the wonderful smell of these culinary masterpieces.
“Oh, what is that delicious smell?” I said. “Every time I walk in here, I get hungry.”
Our class always starts at 11:30 a.m. and ends at 1:30 p.m., just in time for Spanish lunch at 2 p.m.
Today at noon, however, we were invited to an early lunch. We were invited to the Tortilla Feast!
“Hoy es la Día de la Tortilla,” Cecilia informed us. (“Today is Tortilla Day!”)
What in the World is a Spanish Tortilla?
Before living in Spain, I knew all about tortillas. I used them to make Mexican fajitas, burritos, enchiladas, soft tacos, and my favorite Guatemalan dish—Baja Lasagna.
However, those tortillas ARE NOT Spanish tortillas, otherwise known as tortilla de patatas.
I was actually introduced to Spanish tortillas while living in Morocco. We had a local friend, Amina, who made wonderful Spanish tortillas.
This local delicacy is a giant omelet made of eggs, potatoes, and onions.
When I put on my cultural awareness glasses and did some research, I discovered that not all Spaniards include onions in their tortillas.
According to Culture Trip, “The controversy surrounding the inclusion or not of the humble onion in
tortilla is one that could keep some Spaniards talking for hours. Purists would have it that a true tortilla de patatas would only contain potato, eggs and olive oil, leaving the subtle flavours of the oil and egg to give the dish its distinctive taste, but onion advocates claim that the sweetness it brings when slowly cooked down in olive oil is an essential component of what makes the dish so delicious.”
Vincent, who loves to cook, learned how to make Spanish tortillas, and it has been a family favorite for years. He always includes onions—lots of onions!
Now, we are living in the land of tortillas! We see this traditional dish behind the glass displays of every Spanish restaurant and tapas bar.
What we didn’t know is that today is the “Día de la Tortilla” in Spain!
While walking down to the lobby, my Moroccan classmates told me that they had to make tortillas this morning to send to school with their children. They were all eating tortillas together for lunch at school.
Yes, its the “Día de la Tortilla”!
A Tortilla Contest!
When we entered the lobby, we saw two long tables lined with tortillas of every shape, size, and color! Wow! What a sight to behold! They were topped with green peppers, stuffed inside zucchini, filled with shrimp and prawns. It was a creative Tortilla Feast! Each of the 13 tortillas was numbered and displayed for the competition.
The crowd watched in silence and anticipation as the four judges proceeded to scrutinize and taste each dish. They marked on their sheets their impressions and then collaborated together to choose the top three winners.
As the celebrity chefs were announced, the room broke out in a wave of applause. We were then given plastic forks and invited to join in the Tortilla Feast, sampling bite-size portions from each community platter.
Yum! Yum! Yum!
There wasn’t a crumb of
So, now we know that today is “Día de la Tortilla.”
As a result, guess what Vincent is making for dinner tonight? Yep—A Spanish tortilla à la française!
If you want to try yourself, here’s a great recipe from “Spain on a Fork”!
—THE CULTURAL STORY-WEAVER
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Have you ever tasted a Spanish tortilla? If so, what do you think?
We invite you to tell us your own cultural stories and global adventures . . . as you engage with the world, breaking down barriers, building bridges, and “weaving cultures”! Write about them in the comment box below.
I was just talking about this the other day with my boss! He is from El Salvador but I was surprised that until this year he had never had a true quesadilla (I was lacking cultural awareness about Salvadoran cuisine apparently!). But he was telling me about this dish! You learn something new every day 🙂
We all lack cultural awareness, but that’s ok. What’s important is that we always wear our cultural learning glasses. That’s what you did with your friend, and that’s what I did during our “Tortilla Day” surprise luncheon yesterday. It was such a fun cultural experience. I asked lots of questions, took lots of pictures, and enjoyed every tasty bite of those 13 varieties of tortillas! 🙂