Croquettes are an essential staple of Spanish gastronomy. This is demonstrated by the data provided by the Spanish Association of Ready Meal Manufacturers (Asefapre)who report a 9.4% increase in the consumption of this dish between 2019 and 2020 alone, consuming more than 14,691 tons of kibble per year, which is equivalent to 7,162 million kibbles in our country alone.
Made by hand or frozen, this dish is prepared from a bechamel paste coated in egg and breadcrumbs for subsequent frying in a pan with oil. It has become one of the star foods of the Spaniards precisely because of its ease of preparation: it takes barely five minutes between the time you get home and you open the freezer to have a plate of croquettes ready on the table.
A product that triumphs in all types of restaurants and establishments precisely because of its versatility. Croquettes can be made from almost anything: cooked, egg, porcini, chicken, potato, vegetarian, vegan and even gluten-free croquettes. However, the Spaniards clearly have a winner: ham croquettes represent 60% of consumption in our country.
The data collected by Asefapre also testifies to the power of croquettes on the ready meals market. 5.9% of the total sales of this sector correspond to croquettes, representing a value of 41.8 million euros.
2 million kibbles per day
The numbers are impressive. 2 million kibbles are consumed daily in our country, which means that every second that passes we eat 240 kibbles. A consumption that has also benefited home delivery companies. The GastroEspaña Barometer study, carried out by delivery giant Glovo, indicated that the most ordered dish at home in 2021 was neither more nor less than croquette: a total of 550,000 units had been ordered in just one year.
Some figures and data that make us claim kibble as the perfect food for any party, meeting or dinner with friends. A product that is already an integral part of the Spanish identity (despite the fact that its origin is in France at the end of the 18th century) and whose versatility during its preparation makes it a delight for all palates.