Egg allergy, understood in Spanish.

Croquetas · croquetas de jamón / croquetas de bacalao

Croquetas have a wheat-flour bechamel interior (gluten and dairy), a wheat-breadcrumb exterior, and a standard egg coating before frying. The most common variety is jamón (pork), but bacalao (salt cod) croquettes look identical on the outside, and mixed trays in tapas bars are rarely labeled.

The wheat-flour-and-milk bechamel plus wheat breadcrumb coating is the structural base (FACE / celiacos.org). The jamón filling adds pork; the bacalao version adds fish and is visually indistinguishable from non-fish versions in mixed tapas trays. The exterior egg coating is standard for breaded croquetas.

Tortilla española · tortilla española / tortilla de patatas

Spain's ubiquitous tortilla is a thick potato-and-egg omelette, not a flatbread. Travelers from the Americas who order it by name expecting a wheat wrap receive a dish that is entirely egg-based.

The naming confusion with the Mexican (wheat or corn) tortilla is a documented hidden-allergen trap. Served cold at virtually every bar counter in Spain as one of the most ubiquitous tapas.

Alioli · alioli / all i oli

Restaurant alioli in Spain is almost never the traditional egg-free garlic-and-oil emulsion: most establishments use egg-based mayonnaise as the base, and some substitute whole milk for raw egg per food safety regulations, meaning any given serving may contain egg, dairy, or both.

Three versions exist in practice: traditional Catalan all i oli (garlic and oil only, no egg), the widespread egg-based mayo version, and a milk-based substitute version used where raw egg is restricted by food safety rules. Travelers must ask per establishment. Served as a default accompaniment to patatas bravas and seafood without being listed separately on menus.

Tarta de Santiago · tarta de Santiago / torta de Santiago

This Galician cake is naturally gluten-free and is frequently recommended to travelers with wheat restrictions. However, it is composed almost entirely of ground almond flour and eggs, making it dangerous for anyone with a nut or egg allergy who accepts it as the safe dessert option.

The gluten-free recommendation creating a hidden almond and egg trap is a well-documented pattern. Standard recipe: blanched almonds, eggs, sugar, no wheat flour.

Ensaladilla rusa (Russian potato salad) · ensaladilla rusa

Spain's ubiquitous cold potato salad tapa contains egg-based mayonnaise, hard-boiled egg, tuna, and often prawns as structural ingredients, not optional garnishes. Tuna and anchovy are not classified as 'carne' in Spanish culinary tradition, so a 'sin carne' claim does not exclude them.

Prawns are common but not universal (some versions contain only tuna). The anchovy-stuffed olive garnish is variable. Because the dish is built on mayonnaise and tinned fish, it is neither vegetarian-safe by default nor free of fish/shellfish.