Among all the tapas in Spain, there is one that you will find in all the bars. It is the tortilla de patatas. You have to know that the word tortilla in Spain has nothing to do with the corn flour tortilla from Mexico. For us a tortilla is an omelette, or as italians call it a frittata.
This particular omelet is made with potatoes, eggs, olive oil and salt. Sometimes it can have onions or a little bit of green pepper. Now you can find more sofisticated ones that are stuffed with tuna salad or ham and cheese, or who knows what … The thing is that the basic one which is potatoes and eggs seems easy to do but it is not. It can have too many potatoes, it can be too dry, the perfect balance is hard to find.
The best tortilla in the world is made by my mother in law. I do not care if it is freshly done or from the night before, it is always perfect. I am sorry that you cannot try it, but the closest to perfection that you can find in Pamplona is in bar “La Navarra” in calle Amaya 10, very close to the bull ring. It is a little bit salty and the eggs are barely cooked (maybe for anglosaxons, too runny). Just give it a try and ask for “un pincho de tortilla”. It is so creamy that will melt in your mouth.
One of my favourites things to do in San Fermin is to go there for breakfast, after the bull run. They open at nine and you better be there the first, because they have just ten tables and you want to get one of those. First get a table and then go to the counter to order a tortilla with a café latte. My wife and kids love doing this, it is a family must.
