The 2022 Spain potato omelette championship will once again take place in Alicante, featuring a contest among 11 chefs who will craft their versions of the tortilla. This Tescoma Cup gathers a stellar group of cooks and places the tortilla at the center of Spanish gastronomy during Alicante Gastronomy fair, an event that brings together many of the world’s top culinary talents and a strong showcase of wine and dining excellence.
The fair expands over a vast 36,000 square meter space at IFA, running from September 23 through 26. The layout includes two pavilions designed to host more than 250 participants. The program splits into two main workshop tracks along with show dinners and dedicated wine zones, giving visitors a comprehensive view of the evolving tortilla craft and its pairing traditions.
The competitors come from renowned kitchens across Spain. They include Alberto G. Ponte and Ana M. Suárez of Mesón O Pote in Betanzos; Pedro José Roman from Cañadío in Santander; Pepa Miranda of Casa Miranda in Betanzos; Ángel and Ramón Marugal from Tortillería La Concordia in Logroño; Isabel Gesto and Ramón Rodríguez of Restaurante O Cabo in One Koruna; Carmen Carro and Santi Pedraza of Taberna Pedraza in Madrid; Paz Corral from Cafetería Pizcueta 14 in Valencia; Ana Uli and Humberto Segura from Antonio Bar in Saint Sebastian; Carlos Quintana of Cafeteria Emar in Vitoria-Gasteiz; Javier Cadario and Antonio Reyes of Cucu Food Experience in Murcia; and Carlos Olabuenaga from Tizona Restaurant in Logroño. These participants were selected from among leading potato omelette specialists based on a thorough preselection process, representing 11 bars and restaurants celebrated for their tortilla craft on menus across the country. The dish remains the star of Spanish cuisine, judged by a high-caliber panel chaired by Rafael García Santos. The judges will evaluate each chef’s tortilla as it is plated for tasting and display, alongside a stellar lineup of culinary figures accompanying the demonstrations and judging panel.
Chefs will have 75 minutes to prepare their tortillas in front of the jury, choosing ingredients that highlight their signature styles. Each participant brings their own ingredients and tools to replicate the setup of their own workplace, with additional items provided by the event sponsor Tescoma. Every chef must deliver a six to eight serving portion for tasting by the jury, as well as an engaging presentation for the audience and photographic capture.
Homage to José Manuel Crespo in Galician chips
In celebration of the Spanish Potato Tortilla Championship, Galician chef José Manuel Crespo, of El Manjar in A Coruña, is honored as the winner of the competition’s inaugural edition held in 1999.
Rafael García Santos has long rated Crespo highly for his tortilla work, noting that Crespo’s culinary influence marks the before and after of Betanzos-style tortilla evolution. Crespo’s approach, rooted in the family restaurant La Casilla, became a defining benchmark for the city and its tortilla tradition.
First National Potato Tortilla Congress
Alicante Gastronómica supports the continuity of this championship, building on fourteen successful prior editions that began in San Sebastián and later found a home in Alicante as part of the festival program. This year, the event also hosts the 1st National Potato Tortilla Congress, scheduled for September 24 and 25. The president of Alicante Gastronómica emphasizes the ambition to expand the tortilla’s profile, turning it into a national movement with international appeal.
The congress aims to become the central axis of Alicante Gastronomy fair activities and to push tortilla craft onto a broader stage. The objective is an open exchange of ideas, showcasing different techniques and recipes, and encouraging ongoing development and diversity within the tortilla tradition. The congress will feature demonstrations, tastings, and hands-on experiences designed to invite participants to see, touch, and taste the tortilla in new ways.
Alongside the 11 restaurateurs partaking in the XV Spanish Championship, Crespo and Ciri González from Encina in Palencia are recognized for their contributions to this dish’s prestige. The event also honors the creative minds behind some of the most celebrated tortilla experiences in Madrid, Pontevedra, and Barcelona, highlighting how this humble dish has become a national culinary icon with international resonance.