Tapas Cuisine For Kids! Trivia Quiz

Answer: tortilla de patatas

The Spanish word for an omelette is tortilla - which is confusing if you connect that with the Mexican bread! This dish is sometimes just called a tortilla española or Spanish omelette, but I chose the name that refers to the fact that it contains potatoes.

The potatoes (with onions, if they are being included) are sautéed, then blended with whisked eggs, and the mixture fried on both sides. The dish can be served hot or cold.

Answer: huevos rotos

The Spanish for egg is 'huevos' (coming from the same Latin origin as the English ovum), and this dish's name literally means broken eggs. Sliced potatoes (or other shapes, depending on the region) are fried until crisp. Eggs are then broken over them, and fried until the white is set, but the yolk is still runny. Each serving includes an egg, whose yolk is pierced just before service, so it is just starting to ooze over the potatoes.

Answer: pan con tomate

Literally bread with tomato, this simple tapa is a nice vegetable inclusion. It was originally developed to use up stale bread - grating ripe tomatoes produces a puree that soaks into the bread, softening it. It is still traditional to use day-old bread, which may or may not be toasted. Everyone prepares their own dish, by rubbing a slice of garlic on the thickly-sliced bread, then spooning on as much of the tomato puree as they want.

A squeeze of lime is optional, but delicious.

Answer: albóndigas

While albóndigas can be made from other meats, they traditionally use minced pork, combined with breadcrumbs, minced onion and Spanish-flavoured herbs and spices, such as paprika, cumin and parsley. The browned meatballs can be served on their own or simmered in a tomato sauce (albóndigas en salsa).

Answer: pimientios de Padrón

The Spanish word 'pimientos' refers to various kinds of pepper, and this dish uses the spicy green ones originally grown near the town of Padrón. They are usually quite mild, but about one in ten is quite hot - and you cannot tell what you are about to get by looking at it.

This is considered part of the fun! They are prepared by lightly frying them in olive oil, and served sprinkled with a bit of salt and parsley.

Answer: patatas bravas

Did you recognise the potatoes? This dish starts with fried potatoes - slices, wedges, chips, cubes, your choice - over which a spicy (hence brave) sauce is drizzled. The spicy kick comes from the use of smoked paprika in the sauce, and exactly how hot it is depends on the chef's preference. Aioli, an emulsion of garlic and olive oil, is commonly served along with the potatoes.

Answer: boquerones fritos

Maybe the 'fritos' suggested fried - that is the only clue the name is likely to give you, since you need a bit of Spanish to recognise what has been fried - the small Mediterranean fish called an anchovy. The fresh fish is quite different from the preserved anchovies sometimes found on pizza (but not if I have anything to say about it). Opinion differs as to whether they should be served whole, descaled and with the innards removed, or whether they should be filleted.

In either case, they are simply dredged in flour and fried in olive oil. According to the experts, anchovies should be served within a couple of hours of catching them, to get maximum flavour.

Answer: gambas al ajillo

'Gambas' is Spanish for shrimp, and these are fried in olive oil to which a heap of garlic has been added, along with some paprika. When they are cooked, the sauce is finished with the addition of some wine and lemon juice. The shrimp are served with lots of bread, which is used to sop up the delicious sauce.

Answer: pinchos Morunos

The 'Morunos' in their name refers to the fact that these are a legacy of the time when the Moors ruled in Spain. The meat is marinated in a spice mixture from Moorish cuisine. Of course, the Moors were Muslims, and used lamb rather than pork, but the Christians who developed this skewered spiced pork dish acknowledged the source of the flavour.

The marinade, called 'ras el hanout', does not have a definitive list of ingredients, but usually includes lemon juice, olive oil, paprika, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, turmeric, oregano and the ubiquitous salt and pepper.

Answer: zanahorías aliñadas

You will have noticed a lot of meat on the tapas menu, but fresh vegetables are usually included - often just sliced, sometimes prepared. This dish is prepared by boiling and thickly slicing carrots, then covering them in garlic paste and diluted sherry vinegar to marinate before serving them cold with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of your choice of spices.