Spanish omelette tortilla") to be eaten as a finger food. The first reference to the tortilla in Spanish is found in a Navarrese document, as an anonymous "Mousehole's memorial" addressed to the Navarra region's court in 1817. It explains the sparse conditions of Navarre's farmers in contrast with those in Pamplona (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 do know how to make it big and thick with less eggs, mixing potatoes, breadcrumbs or whatever."
Names of the Basque Country (in Spanish) underline their commonality, but rather the character making each of them distinct from the remaining Spanish provinces. It contained no ethnic ingredient whatsoever, the regional one was present though rather muted. Geographical usage of the term differed; generally it was applied to Álava, Biscay and Gipuzkoa, though sporadically (especially in the early 19th century) it could have denoted also Navarre. Currently not only out of use but also almost entirely forgotten term. In Spanish literally "foral provinces". The term is in circulation since the 19th century, though used rather sparsely. The name underlines that provinces in question enjoy some traditional,