We are in the middle of summer and many of our customers, especially those visiting the Costa del Sol for the first time, wonder about seeing sardines placed on a cane which is then stuck in the sand next to a charcoal fire, when visiting a chiringuito (beach bar). These are the famous "Espetos de Sardinas" (Sardines cooked on the barbecue).
Today we decided to tell you the origins of this fantastic dish created in Málaga. All that is required to prepare it are a few sardines of the day, a pinch of salt and the right amount of fire.
The tradition of the "Espetos de Sardinas" begins nearly a century and a half ago when local fishermen separated leftover sardines from the rest of the catch, for their own consumption, as they would not be able to sell this type of fish considered to be food for the poor.
The local fishermen used to separate the fish on beaches and took advantage of the reeds that grew beside the sea, to create spears which are then used to "espetar" (nail) the sardines.
Although this form of grilling the fish may seem very simple, to prepare the sardines has its tricks and secrets. These we will not reveal here, but we can tell you that you need to know how to insert the fish, so that when it is cooked on one side and turned into the opposite side it doesn’t fall out, something that is easier said than done.
Many agree that the first establishment that served the “espetos de sardinas” to the public for the first time is a beach bar called “La Gran Parada”, located in El Palo (Málaga), inaugurated in 1882 by Mr. Miguel Martinez Soler, known by the nickname of "Migué, the guy of the sardines", who was preparing these delicacies from his home, turned into a beach bar.
The legend tells that it was the same Miguel who, in January 1885, when he received the visit of His Majesty King Alfonso XII of Spain in his own establishment, (the King was visiting the area of Axarquía to see in person the damages caused by an earthquake), after giving the king a plate of “espetos de sardinas” and seeing him eat them with a fork and knife, told him in his strong accent from Málaga, “not in this way, eat them with your fingers”.
For many in Spain, this makes "Migué, the guy of the sardines”, the father of sardines cooked on the barbecue.
