Read news from:
Austria
SHARE
COPY LINK

FOOD AND DRINK

Spanish tortilla crowned best tapa according to locals and foreigners

A new study has revealed that Spaniards and foreigners alike agree that the classic 'tortilla de patatas' is the best of all Spanish tapas. Do you agree?

Published: 17 June 2024 10:30 CEST
Spanish tortilla crowned best tapa according to locals and foreigners
The classic 'tortilla de patata' came out on top among Spaniards and foreigners. Photo: blackieshoot/Unsplash.

The Spanish tortilla has been voted as the best tapa by both locals and foreigners in a new study.

According to figures from the ‘Social importance of the tapa’ study, a report prepared by Saborea España for World Tapas Day, 82.5 percent of Spaniards believe tapas represents the best of Spanish cuisine, and most consider tortilla de patatas (usually referred to as a potato omelette or simply ‘Spanish omelette’ in English) to be the best tapa on offer.

READ ALSO:

This was followed by croquettes, ensaladilla and patatas bravas. Among foreigners, tortilla also topped the list, followed by jamón, another classic of Spanish cuisine.

Susi Díaz, president of Saborea España, said at the study’s launch that “the tapa is the ultimate representative of our gastronomy, which highlights the diversity and richness of our territory.”

“Tapas are present all over the country, from Granada, which is a reference point, to the famous Calle Laurel in Logroño, to the pintxos of San Sebastian and the famous tapas of Valladolid,” Diaz said, adding that tapas is “a symbol of our gastronomy and our way of relating to each other”.

READ ALSO: A gourmet guide to ordering pintxos in Spain’s Basque Country

Around three quarters of respondents (76.4 percent) said they go for classic tapas dishes when ordering, and 94 percent said they take advantage of Spain’s huge regional and gastronomical variety and vary their tapas order depending on where in the country they are.

For most in Spain ordering a tapa without an accompanying drink would be unthinkable, and the study found that for 71.2 percent of Spaniards beer was the most popular choice. Non-alcoholic beer (usually referred to as una sin in Spanish) was the choice of 12 percent, and wine 22 percent, with white wine slightly edging it over red (11.3 percent vs 10.7 percent).

Beer was also most popular among foreigners (51.2 percent), followed by wine (40.6 percent).

Though the study also found that many bar owners and restaurateurs feel sharing tapas has become more popular in recent years, possibly a reflection of rising prices, 62 percent of Spaniards nonetheless said that they eat tapas more than three times a month.

The most frequent tapas eaters were found to be between 31 and 45 years of age, followed by those between 46 and 60 years of age.

Almost half of those polled said they spend an average of €10-€20 on tapas per outing, with the average consumption being between 3 and 5 tapas dishes.

READ ALSO: Ten reasons your homemade Spanish tortilla went wrong

Member comments

Log in here to leave a comment.
Become a Member to leave a comment.
For members

LIFE IN SPAIN

More foreigners and people living alone: What Spain will be like in the future

Within three decades, new data reveals that there will continue to be more deaths than births in Spain, population growth will be mainly due to immigration and a third of all households will be occupied by a single person.

Published: 25 June 2024 10:39 CEST
More foreigners and people living alone: What Spain will be like in the future

Spain’s National Statistics Institute (INE) has released a report revealing what the country will look like all the way up to 2074. The figures have been based on how the population will evolve if current demographic trends continue.

Spain’s population will grow by five million

Spain currently has 48,692,804 inhabitants, but this number is set to grow by an extra 5 million by 2039. It’s important to note that the growth will not be equal across the country, and will only focus on specific areas. Much of the country will continue to suffer from depopulation.

Catalonia and Madrid will be the two regions with the greatest growth, with nearly 1.2 million and one million respectively. The greatest relative increases, however, will be recorded in the Balearic Islands (19.0 percent), Valencia (19 percent ) and Murcia (17.2 percent).

On the other hand, the steepest declines will be seen in Asturias (-4.1 percent), Extremadura (-3.4 percent) and Castilla y León (-0.7 percent).

READ ALSO: Growing number of foreigners drives Spain’s population rise

28 percent of the population will be over 65

Spain’s population is growing older and older, and by 2042, 28 percent will be over age 65 compared to the current 20.4 percent. Fast forward to 2055, and this will reach 30.5 percent.

Six percent of the population of Spain has already turned 80, but in 2074 this will double, reaching 12.3 percent. And within 15 years the number of even older people will practically triple. Centenarians will exceed 46,000 compared to nearly 17,000 this year.

Birthrates will increase

Spain’s birthrate has been in decline over recent years, but starting this year, it will begin to grow until 2042. The data predicts that 5.5 million children will be born in the next 15 years,  and the average number of children per woman will grow slightly, going from 1.16 registered this year to 1.24 in 2038.

In 2042, birthrates will begin to fall again, but from 2058 they will rise once more, due to more people having reached fertile ages. The number of births is also thought to be boosted by immigration, with more and more foreigners moving here and having children too.

But, the 5.5 million babies predicted to be born here between 2024 and 2038, will still be 8.7 less than those born in the previous 15 years.

Over a quarter of the population will have been born outside Spain

Spain’s population will not only grow thanks to increasing birthrates but more so because of the numbers of foreigners continuing to move here.

By 2039, the INE predicts that a total of 28.7 percent of the people living in Spain will have been born outside of the country. And by 2074 that figure will reach 39 percent.

This means the population born in Spain is set to gradually decrease, going from 81.9 percent today to 61 percent within 50 years.

READ ALSO: Spain needs 25 million foreign workers to keep its pensions afloat

7.7 million will live alone

It seems that Spaniards are increasingly choosing to live or will be forced to live on their own, with stats revealing that by 2039, one-third of households in the country will only be occupied by a single person.

This equates to 7.7 million single-person homes, compared to the current 5.4 million. In fact, in 2039 the most common type of household will be that of a single person – 33.5 percent of the total, ahead of the 31 percent of two-person households.