Soldaditos de Pavía
Strips of salt cod in a golden batter, fried crisp and classically paired with a ribbon of roasted red pepper — an old-school tapa of Madrid's tabernas.
Soldaditos de Pavía are fingers of desalted bacalao dipped in a light, often saffron-tinted batter and fried until golden, traditionally draped with a strip of roasted red pepper. The name — 'little soldiers of Pavía' — is usually traced to a military reference, with competing stories about which uniform or battle the golden-and-red colours are meant to recall; nobody settles it, and the tapa outlived the argument. You find them in Madrid's oldest fried-fish houses and tabernas, eaten hot with a squeeze of lemon.
How it's served
Hot from the fryer as a tapa or ración, with lemon, classically with roasted red pepper. At home in Madrid's old tabernas and freidurías.
Regional variation
Andalusia claims a version too, and the batter varies — some houses tint it with saffron or pimentón, others keep it plain. The red-pepper garnish is the traditional marker, though not every bar bothers.
- Origin
- Madrid and Andalusia
Frequently asked
What are soldaditos de Pavía?
Batter-fried strips of salt cod, golden and crisp, traditionally served with roasted red pepper and lemon. A classic old-Madrid tapa whose military name comes with several competing origin stories.
Why are they called 'little soldiers of Pavía'?
The honest answer is that nobody is certain. The stories link the golden batter and red pepper to military uniforms or to the Battle of Pavía — the name stuck even though the origin didn't.
Related terms
- Bunyols de bacallàCatalan salt cod fritters: flakes of desalted bacallà folded into a light batter and deep-fried into puffy golden balls.
- Calamares a la romanaSquid cut into rings, dipped in a light flour batter and deep-fried — the golden calamari of Spanish bars, and the filling of Madrid's bocadillo de calamares.
- EsqueixadaA cold Catalan summer salad of shredded raw salt cod with tomato, onion, peppers and olives. Never cooked.
- Bocadillo de calamaresA crusty baguette stuffed with hot fried squid rings — Madrid's improbable, beloved street sandwich, eaten standing around Plaza Mayor.