The story
The gilda, an olive, a salted anchovy and a pickled guindilla chilli threaded onto a cocktail stick, is credited to San Sebastián in the 1940s, most often to the bar Casa Vallés. The name came from Rita Hayworth's title role in the 1946 film Gilda, a sensation in conservative Franco-era Spain: regulars joked that the snack was like her, green, salty and a little spicy. Often called the first pintxo, it helped shape the Basque Country's famous bar-snack culture. Factories now sell gildas ready-made, and the bite remains a fixture of bars across northern Spain.
Also known as gildas, pintxo gilda, banderilla gilda.
On the Meridish menu
Gilda was the starter course on menu No. 22 on October 22, 2026. Its clue in the game, which hints at the place without naming it:
An olive, a salted anchovy and a pickled green chilli on a cocktail stick. Bar regulars here named it after Rita Hayworth's 1946 film role: green, salty and a little spicy.
In Meridish, every dish is pinned to the town or city most widely credited with creating it. A guess within 25 km scores all 100 points. How scoring works.
Sources
- es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gilda_(pincho)
- davidperry.com/newsroom/gilda-spanish-pintxo-with-a-hollywood-connection.html
Food history is often disputed. Think we've pinned it in the wrong place? Tell us at hello@meridish.com, ideally with a source.
