Spanish omelette

Spanish omeletteorSpanish tortillais a traditional dish fromSpain. It is celebrated as one of the most popular dishes of theSpanish cuisine.It is anomelettemade witheggsandpotatoes, usually includingonion. It is often served at room temperature as atapa.
It is commonly known inSpanish-speaking countriesastortilla de patatas,tortilla de papas, ortortilla española.
The first reference to the tortilla in Spanish is found in aNavarresedocument, as an anonymous "mousehole memorial" addressed to the court of Navarre in 1817. It explains the sparse conditions of Navarre's farmers in contrast with those inPamplona(the capital) and la Ribera (in southern Navarre). After listing the sparse food eaten by highlanders, the next quote follows: "…two to three eggs in tortilla for 5 or 6 [people] as our women know how to make it big and thick with fewer eggs, mixing potatoes, breadcrumbs or whatever."
According to legend, during the siege ofBilbao,CarlistgeneralTomás de Zumalacárreguiinvented the "tortilla de patatas" as an easy, fast and nutritious dish to satisfy the scarcities of the Carlist army. Although it remains unknown whether this is true, it appears the tortilla started to spread during the earlyCarlist Wars.
Another tale is that the recipe was learnt by Spanish prisoners captured after theBattle of Montes Clarosduring thePortuguese Restoration Warin 1665.After the Portuguese victory, more than 6,000 Spanish soldiers were kept in captivity for three years until the1668 Treaty of Lisbonwas signed. Upon their release, these prisoners brought part of the culture ofAlentejoto Spain, including many recipes, which featured a potato egg pie that evolved into the modern version of "tortilla".
The wordtortilla, which is thediminutiveform oftorta, literally means 'small cake'.InEuropean Spanishand in some variants ofLatin American Spanish, it meansomelette.A potato omelette is atortilla de patatasorpapas.
As the dish has gained international popularity, and perhaps to distinguish it from thethin flatbread made out of wheat or maizepopular in Mexico and Central America, theespañolaor Spanish naming gained traction. As such, 'Spanish omelette'or 'Spanish tortilla'are its common names in English, whiletortilla españolais the formally accepted name even within thepeninsula. In Spain, an omelette (made simply of beaten eggs) is known astortilla francesa(lit.'French omelette') to distinguish it from the potato version.
The Spanish omelette is widely available in Spain, and prepared in someSpanish-speaking countries.
The two main options are either with or withoutonion. The addition of onion is the cause of an unresolved dispute, pittingconcebollistas(the "with onion" group) againstsincebollistas(the "without onion" group, considering this to be authentic).It may be related to the tenderness of the local varieties of potato.Restaurateursare expected to say whether their tortilla has onion, and industrial producers market both options.
The most common way to cook a Spanish omelette is as follows:
The omelette may be eaten hot, at room temperature, or chilled; it is commonly served, cut into bite-size pieces (pincho de tortilla), as atapa, or cut into wedges.
Día de la Tortilla("Tortilla Day") is a popular festivity celebrated in many towns in southern and western Spain. Its date varies depending on the town; however, it normally coincides with the Thursday before Lent, the first day ofCarnival, also known as "Jueves Lardero" (Fat Thursday). Many towns in eastern Spain have a similar celebration on that day. Traditionally, the inhabitants of each town go to a nearby rural area where they spend the day among family members and friends, eating Spanish tortillas and other foods, and playing games.