Bocadillo Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids
Bocadillo
A bocadillo filled with tortilla, one of many options.
Alternative names	Bocata
Type	Sandwich
Place of origin	Spain
Serving temperature	Cold or baked
Main ingredients	Spanish bread, cold meat or omelette

A bocadillo (say "boh-cah-DEE-yoh") or bocata is a popular type of sandwich from Spain. It's usually made with a long loaf of Spanish bread, like a baguette, cut in half lengthwise.

Bocadillos were once seen as a simple, everyday meal. But because they are affordable and super tasty, they have become a much-loved part of Spanish food culture. You'll often find people enjoying them in cafes and tapas bars across Spain.

Sometimes, bocadillos are made even better with sauces like mayonnaise, aioli (a garlicky mayo), ketchup, or mustard. People often eat them with a cold drink or coffee. There are many different kinds of bocadillos depending on where you are in Spain, like the serranito or almussafes.

Many Kinds of Bocadillos
See also

Many Kinds of Bocadillos

There are tons of different bocadillos in Spain, each with its own special fillings. Here are some of the most common and delicious types you might find! You can even find similar sandwiches in northern Morocco.

Bocadillos

A bocadillo with pork fillet, fried onions, green pepper, and alioli sauce.

A bocadillo with pork fillet, fried onions, and alioli.

A giant bocadillo with four horse meat steaks.

Fried squid with mayonnaise.

Fried baby squid (puntillas) with alioli.

Bocata Kike, with Spanish ham, pork fillet, french fries, fried egg, fried onions, and mayonnaise.

Bocadillo Pascuala Especial, with pork fillet, bacon, cheese, and tomato sauce.

Omelette Fillings

Many bocadillos are filled with different kinds of omelettes.

Spanish omelette (made with or without onion)
Campera omelette (with potatoes, green pepper, and chorizo sausage)
Jamon omelette (made with Spanish ham instead of potatoes)
Cheese omelette
Courgette (zucchini) omelette
French omelette (a plain omelette)
Garlic omelette (made with young green garlic)
Bean omelette
Aubergine (eggplant) omelette
Spinach omelette
Tuna fish omelette

Cold Meat Fillings

These bocadillos feature different types of sliced cold meats.

Jamón - Spanish dry-cured ham, often with olive oil
Boiled ham with cheese
Bacon with cheese
Mortadella (a type of Italian sausage, with or without olives)
Salchichón (a Spanish dry sausage)
Salami
Paté (a spread made from ground meat)
Sobrassada (a soft, spreadable sausage) with cheese

Cheese Fillings

For cheese lovers, these bocadillos are simple and delicious.

Plain cheese
Fresh cheese with olive oil and tomato
Cheese spread with anchovies
Sliced Tasmanian feta cheese

Vegetarian Fillings

These options are perfect for those who prefer no meat.

Tomato and olive oil, also known as Pa amb tomàquet
Pisto (a Spanish vegetable stew with courgette, tomato sauce, green pepper, and pine nuts)
Vegetarian (usually with lettuce, tomato, olives, and mayonnaise)

Sausage Fillings

Spanish sausages are a popular choice for bocadillos.

Chistorra (a fast-cured sausage)
Longaniza or blanco (a white sausage)
Chorizo or rojo (a red, spicy sausage)
Morcilla or negro (a black sausage, like blood sausage)
Blanco y negro (a mix of longaniza and morcilla)
Frankfurt (like a hot dog sausage)

Meat Fillings

Hearty meat options are very common in bocadillos.

Pork fillet (often with green pepper and french fries)
Horse meat
Pechuga (Chicken fillet)
Pepito (Beef meat)

Egg Fillings

Eggs are often added to bocadillos, sometimes with other ingredients.

Fried egg (usually with another ingredient)
Revuelto de huevos, also known as Scrambled eggs

Fish Fillings

Seafood is a popular filling, especially in coastal areas.

Calamares, which are fried calamares
Puntillas or Puntillitas (small, battered, and fried baby squid)
Calamares en su tinta (squid cooked in its own black ink)
Tuna fish with olives
Sardines
Cuttlefish
Smoked salmon with boiled eggs

Sweet Fillings

Yes, some bocadillos are even sweet!

Chocolate

Other Special Bocadillos

Some bocadillos have unique names and combinations.

Brascada (made with beef fillet, Spanish ham, and fried onions)
Kike (with pork fillet, Spanish ham, french fries, fried egg, fried onions, and mayonnaise)
Pascuala (with horse fillet and bacon in tomato sauce)
Pascuala especial (with pork fillet, bacon, cheese, and tomato sauce)
Cofrade
Chivito
Emanuele (with chorizo, green pepper, cheese, and alioli sauce)
Spanish Bocadillo (with Spanish omelette, bacon, and fresh tomato slices)
Portuguese Bocadillo (with pork sausage, fries, and green pepper)
Tumbadito (with turkey fillet, green pepper, cheese, and alioli)