The Spanish are understandably very particular and protective of their native dishes – remember a certain ‘not a paella’ by British chef Jamie Oliver? The debate of whether tortilla de patatas should have onion or not seems to have an overriding winner…
An overwhelming majority of Spaniards do prefer their tortilla de patatas with onion.
On Wednesday, El Mundo published the results of a survey into the doyenne of tapas bars, the Spanish omelette. The results delighted the country’s concebollistas (with-onionists). The sincebollistas (without-onionists) were left smacking their lips in distaste.
The onions have it
There was no doubt. Of those surveyed, 72.2% gave onion the thumbs up. 25.3% gave the thumbs down, while 1.9% kept their thumb parallel to the ground. The remainder didn’t take their thumb out of their pocket.
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The tortilla debate has raged on for a long time, causing rifts in families and villages. However, there’s no arguing that ‘with-onionists’ sway to the left or right wing; the results showed uniformity no matter the political leanings.
Of those who support left-wing PSOE, 73.2% are pro-onion, as are 72.1% of those who vote for the conservative PP. On the far right, 69.4% of Vox voters like onion in their tortilla, as do 65% of those who vote for the far-left Unidas Podemos party. 74.1% of those who vote for Ciudadanos – centre-right – also like the fragrant vegetable in their tortilla.
Women are slightly more likely to favour onion than men (73.3% to 72.2%). Support for the onion rises from 65.8% among those aged 18 and 26 to a peak of 75% among those between 45 and 64.
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