It's World Croqueta Day! A Celebration of the Most Popular Spanish Tapa

It's originally from France, although the croqueta has acquired its fullest expression and greatest popularity in Spain. Croquetas possibly arrived in Spain during the Peninsular War (1808-1814), when many customs of the French elite were adopted, including culinary ones. But it is in Spain where this recipe reaches its peak.

A croqueta is prepared from a dough made of a dense sauce called bechamel and a fine mix of various ingredients. It's then dipped in in egg and breadcrumbs and fried in abundant oil. This gives it a crunchy texture and a golden color. It usually has an oval or round shape and is small enough to be eaten in one bite or, at most, two.

As for the filling, it's very common to find them made with ham (Serrano or Ibérico), as well as with mushrooms (boletus, for example), meat from cocido stew, roast chicken, different cheeses such as Cabrales from Asturias, fish like hake or cod, seafood such as shrimp... In her book, La cocina española moderna (1917), Galician writer Emilia Pardo Bazán refers to an almost infinite variety of flavors: veal, partridge, sea bream, tuna... And they can also be made in a sweet version.

Since 2015, January 16 has been designated as World Croqueta Day, which seeks to commemorate one of the most emblematic Spanish tapas. The most common way to eat it is in bars, taverns, and restaurants, where it's usually served as a ración, or a portion of several croquetas. Sometimes they're sold individually.

From a popular dish to chefs' creations

Although the croqueta has been on the menus of popular restaurants and served at homes throughout Spain for more than a century, great chefs have also surrendered to its charms. The modern croqueta, with a creamier (almost liquid) bechamel sauce and lighter batter, can be attributed to the great Spanish chef Marisa Sánchez, now deceased, who perfected it more than half a century ago at Echaurren restaurant (Ezcaray, La Rioja). Her son, Francis Paniego, whose cooking is recognized with two Michelin stars, continues to make them today in the same family restaurant. Chef Nacho Manzano, at the two Michelin-star restaurant Casa Marcial (Arriondas, Asturias), has also worked to perfect the croqueta and his is also recognized as one of the best in Spain.

Every year since 2015, a competition to select the best Ibérico ham croqueta in Spain is held at the Madrid Fusion gastronomic conference. In 2022, Miguel Carretero, chef of Santerra restaurant (Madrid), won the title, defeating the winners of previous editions of the competition. His recipe is in line with that of other chefs': creaminess, lightness, and a concentration of flavor.

The Spanish croqueta can be found in the best restaurants from Spain around the world. There are 358 restaurants certified with the RFS seal, in 43 different countries, where this iconic Spanish product can be savored. Chef José Andrés has them on the menu in practically all of his restaurants in the United States, and at the Little Spain Market (New York) he serves an assortment of croquetas whose flavors vary depending on the season. Another croquetero chef is José Pizarro, who has them on the menu at his London restaurants, where he makes them with Cinco Jotas ham. Where there's a Spanish restaurant, there are croquetas: the perfect food for enjoying the flavors of Spain.