Zarajos
Marinated lamb intestines wound around a vine shoot and grilled — Cuenca's rustic delicacy, a fixture on the counters of Madrid's old tabernas.
Zarajos are lamb's small intestines, marinated (garlic and parsley are the usual notes), wound tightly around a vine shoot or small stick, and then grilled or roasted until the outside crisps and the inside stays tender. They come from Cuenca, in Castilla-La Mancha, but Madrid adopted them long ago — you'll spot the little bundles on the counters of castizo tabernas, sliced into rounds and finished on the plancha, served with lemon.
How it's served
Sliced into rounds and crisped on the plancha, with lemon and bread, as a tapa or ración. Traditionally a counter-top item in old tabernas.
Regional variation
Cuenca is the origin and reference. Madrid treats zarajos as adopted heritage alongside its own gallinejas — grilled on a stick versus fried in fat is the essential difference between the two.
- Origin
- Cuenca, Castilla-La Mancha
Frequently asked
What exactly is a zarajo?
A bundle of marinated lamb's small intestines wound around a vine shoot and grilled — a specialty from Cuenca that became a staple tapa in Madrid's traditional tabernas. It's usually sliced and crisped on the griddle before serving.
How is a zarajo different from gallinejas?
Same base ingredient, different technique: gallinejas are lamb intestines deep-fried loose in their own fat, while zarajos are wound on a stick, marinated and grilled. Zarajos come from Cuenca; gallinejas are Madrid-born.
Related terms
- GallinejasLamb's small intestines fried in their own fat until crisp — with entresijos, the deepest cut of castizo Madrid, kept alive by a handful of specialist fry houses.
- Oreja a la planchaPig's ear griddled until the edges crisp and the cartilage turns tender-chewy, hit with garlic, parsley and pimentón — a defining Madrid bar tapa.