Spanish omelette Spanish omelette Spanish omelette is the English name for a traditional dish from Spanish cuisine called tortilla española, tortilla de patatas or tortilla de papas. It is an omelette made with eggs and potatoes, sometimes also with onion and/or chives or garlic; fried in oil and often served cold as an appetizer. It is part of the cuisine of Spain. In Spanish "tortilla" is the diminutive form of "torta", cake; this dish is called "tortilla de patatas" or "tortilla española" to distinguish it from a plain omelette ("tortilla francesa", literally ""French omelette""). These dishes are unrelated to the maize or
Spanish omelette According to legend, during the siege of Bilbao, Carlist general Tomás de Zumalacárregui invented 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 early Carlist wars. Another tale is that the recipe was learnt by Spanish prisoners captured after the Battle of Montes Claros during the Portuguese Restoration War in 1665. After the Portuguese victory, more than 6000 Spanish soldiers were kept in captivity for 2 years until the Treaty of Lisbon was