At first glance, zarajos look like a popsicle or regular meatball. But the meatball is in fact lamb intestine wrapped and bonded into a ball around the stick. Its origins can be traced to the mountain town Cuenca two hours from Madrid and the lamb intestines are usually from a young lamb.
The intestine is cleaned and marinated before wrapping, then deep-fried or oven-baked before being served in halves. It’s salty, crispy, tangy and not at all gamey, the layers giving it the perfect crispy to meaty ratio. It is usually paired with red wine and best eaten hot.
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Oreja de cerdo
The name oreja de cerdo directly translates as pig’s ear, and the dish varies depending on the tapas bar and region. It’s widely popular in Madrid as well as the regions of Andalucia and La Mancha.
It’s sometimes served grilled or fried on its own, with the ear’s skin and cartilage giving it a chewy and crunchy combination. Its flavour depends on the sauce and marinate used, usually a white wine and parsley sauce or spicy tomato sauce.
Morcilla
The Spanish version of black pudding, morcilla is a blood sausage most commonly made with pig’s blood. It’s a quintessential ingredient in stews as well as tapas, and depending on the region, different fillings are added. Some even contain other parts of pig organs. However, the most famous incarnation is from Burgos, a town in northern Spain. The morcilla de Burgos contains rice, locally grown onions, paprika and oregano. As tapas, the morcilla is sliced and sauteed in olive oil and accompanied with bread. This brings out the sweetness of the sausage and makes for an excellent snack.
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Callos a la madrilena
Callos, or callos a la madrilena, is a stew with tripe and chickpeas as the main ingredients, served in an earthenware bowl. A popular dish across Madrid, it’s served in both tapas bars and restaurants. Depending on the recipe, pig’s foot and/or calf’s foot may be used, as well as morcilla.
The tripe is slow-cooked for hours after being washed with white vinegar and water, with onions, garlic, bay leaves, peppercorns, and additional meats and beans. It’s a flavourful, earthy dish that’s perfect for a cold day with the tender tripe.
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Criadillas
Criadillas directly translates to testicles in Spanish, and the dish is naturally some animal’s balls. Although it can be from any beast, bull’s testicles are usually the criadillas of choice as some believe that eating them will boost masculinity. The balls are breaded and fried, then served on its own or in a spicy wine sauce. Other popular criadillas sources are from lamb, turkey and even chicken. Once cooked, it’s difficult to tell what they actually are and the meat is surprisingly tender for those brave enough to try. The tapas version, in particular, is sliced before frying so it’s difficult to tell what it is.
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