Anchovies are a typical product of Spanish gastronomy, but they are not consumed in the same way everywhere in the country. Today we show you how this food is enjoyed in its different Autonomous Communities.
1. Marinera Murciana
One of Murcia's most typical tapas is the Marinera Murciana. It consists of a Russian salad served on an elongated breadstick and garnished with an anchovy on top. The ingredients for the salad are typical: boiled potatoes and eggs, pickled gherkins and carrots, and tuna, all chopped into small pieces and mixed with mayonnaise. The Murcian touch of the breadstick and the anchovy at the end is an addition that makes this dish even more delicious. It's a delight!
2. “Pa amb tomàquet” and anchovies
A classic dish of Catalan cuisine is the famous bread with tomato. Although this tapa is eaten on its own - toasted bread rubbed with garlic, spread with tomato and olive oil, and salt - it is also used as a base for any type of cured meat, cheese, and even preserved fish such as northern bonito and Santoña anchovies.
3. Recluta
A typical tapa from Andalusia, specifically Jaén, is the recluta. It consists of a crouton (bread fried in olive oil) with tomato slices and anchovy fillets. It can also be eaten as a sandwich, adding another crouton on top. It is a very simple but delicious combination of ingredients that we strongly recommend trying. You won't regret it!
3. La gilda
One of the quintessential tapas of the Basque Country is the gilda, a pintxo made of piparras (pickled green peppers), olives, and anchovy fillets. It is said that the pintxo as such originated in the "Casa Vallés" bar in San Sebastián in the late 1940s. It was named after its similarity to the protagonist of a very famous film at the time called "Gilda," a woman embodied by actress Rita Hayworth, because, like her, it looked "green, salty, and a little spicy."
4. Anchovies...just as they are
We couldn't not mention Cantabria, as Santoña anchovies are its autonomous product par excellence. In this region, anchovies can be consumed in many ways, although it is not uncommon to see them consumed "as is" in bars, directly from the can with toothpicks, enjoying the exquisiteness of their flavor without any alteration.
As you can see, part of the richness of our gastronomy lies in the thousand ways a single food can be integrated into different dishes, providing a wide variety of gastronomic options. These are just some of the ways anchovies are consumed in different parts of the country, although there are many more. Which one do you prefer?
