The world of gastronomy has long been mired in constant hyperbole, in which the meaning of “the best” is completely hollow: if everything is the best, then in reality nothing is. However, the weight of such claims changes when they come from a professional jury, and it was precisely such a jury that was tasked with choosing the best croquette in Spain in 2026 at Madrid Fusión.
The creamy ham croquette from Salino (Calle Menorca, 4), the restaurant owned by brothers Javier and Paco Aparicio (Grupo Cachivache), was the winner of the 12th edition of the Championship, one of the most established events of the festival.
Salino’s head chef, Alejandro Cano, won the title of best croquette in Spain before a jury made up of chefs Albert Adrià (Enigma restaurant), Sacha Hormaechea (Sacha restaurant), Nandu Yubani and Mario Sandoval (Coque restaurant), food journalist José Manuel Rodríguez, and María Castro (Sánchez Romero Carvajal).
What is Salino’s croquette, the best in Spain in 2026, like?
Editorial credit: Salino
The award-winning croquette, chosen from among six finalists, is made with 100% acorn-fed ham from Sánchez Romero Carvajal, with a very creamy béchamel sauce made from fresh milk, coated with a very thin layer of panko and finally fried in sunflower oil.
“Defending Salino’s croquette in a competition like this has been a great responsibility. It’s a recipe that takes a lot of work and represents the restaurant’s cooking style very well ,“ said Cano.
The winning croquette can be ordered at the restaurant in portions of six, priced at €15.
The Aparicio brothers and the Madrid food scene
Editorial credit: Salino
As we mentioned, behind Salino—which opened in 2018—are brothers Javier and Paco Aparicio, who have more than one gastronomic project in Madrid: they are also responsible for Cachivache (2013) and La Raquetista (2015), both of which have had an impact on the capital’s gastronomic scene.
Although each of them has a different personality, they point out that they all have one thing in common: “offering quality cuisine, with seasonal products and recipes full of flavor.”