The Question That Has Divided Spain Since the Beginning of Time
Not politics. Not football. The biggest debate in Spain is this: ¿tortilla de patata con cebolla o sin cebolla? With onion or without onion? And if you think this sounds harmless, you have never met a passionate Spaniard with an opinion about tortilla.
This is the kind of cultural deep-dive that makes La Tribu / The Spanish Tribe different from every other Spanish class: we learn Spanish by talking about things that actually matter to Spanish people. Which, yes, includes eggs and onions. Subscribe:
📧 Tortilla de Patata — ¿Con Cebolla o Sin Cebolla?
Tomorrow we are talking about one of the biggest debates in Spain. Not politics. Worse. Tortilla de patata: con cebolla or sin cebolla? With onion or without onion?
Spain is divided, sweetheart. Some people love tortilla con cebolla. Other people say tortilla sin cebolla is the only real tortilla. And chefs? Of course, every chef has an opinion, a technique and a little drama.
Personally, I like both. Real talk: if you put tortilla de patata in front of me, I eat it. No problem. But if I have to choose… I prefer it con poca cebolla. With a little onion. Not too much. The onion can be there, but she does not need to steal the show.
Have you tried tortilla de patata? Do you prefer it con cebolla or sin cebolla? Are you team onion or team no onion?
Tomorrow we debate. We are going to divide La Tribu in two groups and practise real Spanish conversation: food, opinions, likes, dislikes and very useful phrases you can actually use.
Un saludo, Mónica
Tortilla de Patata — The Spanish Omelette Explained (And How to Debate It in Spanish)
Tortilla española (or tortilla de patata) is a thick omelette made with eggs, olive oil, and potatoes. It’s eaten hot or cold, at breakfast, lunch, dinner, or as a tapa. It’s arguably Spain’s most iconic dish. And the onion debate is completely serious.
How to express your opinion on tortilla (and anything else) in Spanish:
- Prefiero… — I prefer…
- Me gusta más… — I like … more
- No me gusta para nada. — I don’t like it at all.
- con cebolla — with onion
- sin cebolla — without onion
- con poca cebolla — with a little onion
- robar el protagonismo — to steal the show (lit: to steal the leading role)
- ¿Has probado…? — Have you tried…?
- Estoy de acuerdo. — I agree.
- No estoy de acuerdo. — I disagree.
- Depende. — It depends. (always valid)
The tortilla debate is the perfect Spanish conversation starter because everyone has an opinion and no one is wrong (except the people who say sin cebolla, obviously). In La Tribu (The Spanish Tribe), we use these real cultural debates to practice expressing opinions, disagreeing politely, and having the kind of conversations that actually happen at Spanish lunch tables.
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Besos, Mónica — your Pale Hispanic from MadriZ
Monica Bernabe Perez | Spanish-English conversation teacher at BlanBla (blanbla.com) | Storytelling copywriter at nosoyisrabravo.es
— Monica Bernabe Perez