The gilda is a pintxo on a single stick: anchovy, green olive and guindilla pepper skewered together, a pickled, salty bite served at bar counters across northern Spain and first named in San Sebastian.

Blas Valles opened a wine shop on Reyes Catolicos in 1942, in the same premises where Bar Casa Valles stands today, and soon served pickles and anchovies in oil with the wine. The bar's own history credits a friend and customer, Joaquin Txepetxa, with first skewering the three together. The name came later, from Rita Hayworth's 1946 film Gilda, for a bite that was green, salty and a little spicy, and it began to be used in San Sebastian. Canning firms now sell gildas ready made, and Bartolo on Fermin Calbeton lists the gilda among its pintxos.

Where to eat Gilda in San Sebastián

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Make it at home

Serves 65 minEasy

Ingredients

  • 12 anchovy fillets in olive oil (Cantabrico if available)
  • 12 pitted green Manzanilla olives
  • 12 to 18 Ibarra guindilla peppers in vinegar
  • Extra virgin olive oil (Arbequina), to drizzle
  • 6 cocktail sticks
  • Optional: a quartered pickled onion per skewer

Method

  1. Pat the anchovies and the guindilla peppers dry on kitchen paper to remove excess oil and vinegar.
  2. Take a cocktail stick. Thread on one folded anchovy, then one olive, then one guindilla.
  3. Add a second anchovy and a second olive on top; finish with another guindilla.
  4. Place the six gildas on a small plate. Drizzle with a teaspoon of olive oil.
  5. Serve at room temperature with a glass of Txakoli or a cold cana.

Editor tip. Pat the anchovies and the guindillas dry before you skewer them so the stick is not oily, and assemble the gildas shortly before serving.

Common allergens: Fish.