Malaga restaurant Ziklo selected among Spain's best at prestigious tapas awards

Malaga restaurant Ziklo was selected as a finalist in the annual National Pinchos and Tapas Competition in Valladolid, one of the most important gastronomy competitions in Spain.

The eatery, with Daniel García Peinado as head chef, was the only one to represent Malaga province, but in the end it was Valladolid restaurant Trasto de Teo Rodríguez which claimed the Best Tapa Award.

The entry that helped Ziklo to make the finals was the Balón Campeón, a fritter fried in Malaga's hojiblanco EVOO olive oil, filled with a stew of Iberian pig's trotters with mushrooms, touches of truffle, tartufata, parmesan, trotter juice and veal. The recipe, which is based on one of Ziklo's tapas, was completed with a batter with shichimi togarashi, brown sugar and aniseed.

García Peinado said the aim was to pay tribute to the traditional cuisine of Malaga which he says "is being lost" and to the Spanish women's national football team for their victory in this year's World Cup.

Despite not having won the prize, the chef said he is satisfied with the judges' assessment, who described the tapa as original and full of flavour. "Ziklo has only been open for a short time and this is a very important boost that tells us that we are on the right track. What's more, we have to work to ensure that Malaga has its place in national competitions like this one," Peinado added.