A traditional Spanish snack for the last 100 years, Tortas de Aceite are hand-made in Seville using extra virgin olive oil. Crisp and delicate, Ines Rosales tortas are lighter than most crackers. Baked with sesame seeds and topped with coarse sea salt, these are a delicious treat to enjoy on their own or paired with fruit and cheese.

A century ago, a woman named Ines Rosales started making olive oil tortas (tortas de aceite) by hand at her bakery next to a stagecoach stop in Sevilla. Her tortas de aceite were so popular that before long, she could not keep up with the demand and she employed the women of the local village to assist her in producing these crisp and delicate treats. She used local ingredients including extra virgin olive oil. In a short time this Andalucian specialty became known and enjoyed throughout Spain.

Today the tradition continues. Originally made with sugar and anise, these sesame and sea salt tortas are a slight adaptation of the recipe Ines Rosales created almost 100 years ago. Women from the local village are still employed to hand-flatten and hand-wrap the tortas that are made in small batches.

These savory sesame and sea salt crisps are reminiscent of the pie crust cookies your mom might have made for you when she was trimming her pie before putting it in the oven. Those were generally sprinkled with cinnamon sugar, but these are topped with sesame seeds and coarse sea salt. Enjoy them instead of ordinary cookies or crackers with your afternoon tea.