# tortilla poco cuajada



## coracora

¿Creéis que podría usarse runny omelette para hablar de una tortilla poco cuajada?


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## Bevj

En mi opinión, si es 'runny', no se le puede llamar una tortilla.  'Runny' significa que el huevo se ha quedado líquido.
Diría 'lightly cooked'.


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## horsewishr

Eggs "set" when they are cooked.  So I would say "just set."


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## aloofsocialite

Les he preguntado a mis compañeros de piso "Hey, would you call an undercooked 'omelette' 'runny' or use some other adjective?", (les dije _omelette _porque habrían creído que me refería a la tortilla mexicana, la española, pues casi desconocida por aquí) y resulta que ambos usarían "runny" para describir una tortilla (omelette) poco cuajada. Yo, por mi parte, tampoco lo veo incorrecto. Pero mejor esperar más comentarios.

¡Espero que te sirva de ayuda!

as.


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## graced

You could also say something like "a little undercooked" but I still like "runny" more...


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## William Stein

aloofsocialite said:


> Les he preguntado a mis compañeros de piso "Hey, would you call an undercooked 'omelette' 'runny' or use some other adjective?", (les dije _omelette _porque habrían creído que me refería a la tortilla mexicana, la española, pues casi desconocida por aquí) y resulta que ambos usarían "runny" para describir una tortilla (omelette) poco cuajada. Yo, por mi parte, tampoco lo veo incorrecto. Pero mejor esperar más comentarios.



It's in Reverso, too, but as "tortilla babosa", which must be the same things as "poco cuajado"
http://dictionary.reverso.net/english-spanish/runny omelette


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## Elcanario

Hola
Lo de tortilla babosa ha de ser regional porque por mi zona no se nos ocurriría llamarla así. Babosa tiene connotaciones negativas nada apetecibles.
Un saludo


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## William Stein

Elcanario said:


> Hola
> Lo de tortilla babosa ha de ser regional porque por mi zona no se nos ocurriría llamarla así. Babosa tiene connotaciones negativas nada apetecibles.
> Un saludo



Aquí también "un baboso" es alguién estúpido, como un bebe con la cara llena de baba, pero en francés dicen igual: une omelette baveuse.


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## Roberto_Mendoza

Otra sugerencia: "tender omelette". Saludos.


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## horsewishr

Elcanario said:


> Hola
> Lo de tortilla babosa ha de ser regional porque por mi zona no se nos ocurriría llamarla así. Babosa tiene connotaciones negativas nada apetecibles.
> Un saludo


So does "runny."  A runny omelette would be disgusting. So the question is, are we trying to describe something appealing (just set or barely set) or unappealing (runny).



*cuajado* _adj_(sustancia: coagulada)set _adj_El postre ya está cuajado.The dessert is already set.


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## Rubns

Esto ya se trató en el foro: http://forum.wordreference.com/showthread.php?t=2800544

¿Qué tal "soft-set"?


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## William Stein

horsewishr said:


> So does "runny."  A runny omelette would be disgusting. So the question is, are we trying to describe something appealing (just set or barely set) or unappealing (runny).
> 
> 
> 
> *cuajado* _adj_(sustancia: coagulada)set _adj_El postre ya está cuajado.The dessert is already set.



But French omelets are the best in the world so they're definitely appealing in a sense, although the choice of words is unfortunate. "Runny" is pretty disgusting, too, since it probably comes from "runny nose" (mocoso, being a close relative of baboso) but in the top cooking schools they probably say baboso/baveuse. I don't really find the idea of a lot of loose egg white appealing either, but then I think "steak tartare" is totally disgusting and gourmets swear by it.
For better or worse, I don t think "soft set" conveys the notion of the liquid egg whites (baba), which is definitely part of the concept in French cuisine.


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## horsewishr

Rubns said:


> Esto ya se trató en el foro: http://forum.wordreference.com/showthread.php?t=2800544
> 
> ¿Qué tal "soft-set"?


We have a winner!


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## William Stein

horsewishr said:


> We have a winner!



I think you're confusing your personal tastes with accurate terminology. Nobody said being undercooked was necessarily appealing. I would say that "runny" is the right term when there's still liquid egg white and "soft set" is the right term when the omelet is very tender but without any running liquid.


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## Roberto_Mendoza

Although I still believe that "tender" is a good option )), I think soft-set conveys the meaning of "tortilla poco cuajada" perfectly. The term "baboso" is just not used in a culinary context in Spanish, French terminology not withstanding.


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## aloofsocialite

I like soft-set, which I think can mean that the tortilla is runny, or simply cooked to the point where it is no longer wet. So, in my opinion, they might be interchangeable, but not necessarily. Runny is runny and tends to sound somewhat unappetizing but it doesn't have to be. For instance, I love my eggs with runny yolks: not disgusting at all, but delicious!


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## cirrus

Tender doesn't sound right with eggs, baveuse if you are being cheffy but runny would definitely be understood. Undercooked or underdone are alternatives that would work.


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## horsewishr

cirrus said:


> Tender doesn't sound right with eggs, baveuse if you are being cheffy but runny would definitely be understood. Undercooked or underdone are alternatives that would work.


I agree that _tender_ does not sound right.  But to me, _undercooked, underdone_, and _runny_ all imply that the eggs are improperly cooked, whereas _soft set_ is cooked perfectly (simply not overcooked).

It would be helpful if Coracora clarified what she wanted to translate.


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## coracora

Perhaps I should have explained better what a _tortilla poco cuajada _is. It isn't the white of the egg which is runny. It's the yolk. And in Spain, a _tortilla poco cuajada_, with its runny yolk, is delicious. The omelette is well cooked but when you cut it, some of the yolk is still liquid. In these two pictures you can see what I mean:
http://blogs.elpais.com/.a/6a00d8341bfb1653ef01539237a926970b-pi 
http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2692/2919/1600/9 tortilla.0.jpg

Thanks for all your answers anyway.


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## k-in-sc

Are the yolks and whites not beaten together?
French-English discussion: http://forum.wordreference.com/showthread.php?t=300935


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## coracora

An Spanish omelette is made with eggs, potatoes, onions and olive oil. First you have to fry de potatoes and the onions. Then, you put the fried potatoes and onions into the eggs, which must be beaten (yolks and whites) first. Finally you put everything in the frying pan. After a while, with the help of a dish or a plate, you turn it over and cook the other side.


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## Wandering JJ

Definitely "runny" in my household this side of the pond. The other terms mentioned would all be understood, but "runny" is the everyday description for an "unset" omelette.


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## k-in-sc

I agree that "runny" is a legitimate if somewhat unappetizing term for eggs, but I wouldn't exactly call the tortillas in the pictures runny.


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## donbill

I suppose we could go back to _coagulare_, the origin of _cuajar_, and say a slightly coagulated omelet, but that's even less appetizing that una tortilla babosa.


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## k-in-sc

donbill said:


> I suppose we could go back to _coagulare_, the origin of _cuajar_, and say a slightly coagulated omelet, but that's even less appetizing that una tortilla babosa.


Ewwww 
How about just "on the runny side"?
The OP has not said why she needs a term in English.


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## SydLexia

k-in-sc said:


> Ewwww
> How about just "on the runny side"?
> The OP has not said why she needs a term in English.



Yes, it's one thing if you have to translate it for a menu and another if someone is complaining about the disgusting undercooked omelette they were served.

syd


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## k-in-sc

And speaking of "undercooked," here's another vote for avoiding it in all contexts intended to be positive or neutral.
What about "barely firm"?


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## cirrus

k-in-sc said:


> Are the yolks and whites not beaten together?


Yes they are, otherwise you get fried eggs.


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## simonitov

Creo que aquí en el Reino Unido se entendería bien "a runny omlette". 
Acabo de deciíselo a tres compañeros de trabajo todos los cuales sabían de que hablaba.


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## William Stein

coracora said:


> Perhaps I should have explained better what a _tortilla poco cuajada _is. It isn't the white of the egg which is runny. It's the yolk. And in Spain, a _tortilla poco cuajada_, with its runny yolk, is delicious. The omelette is well cooked but when you cut it, some of the yolk is still liquid. In these two pictures you can see what I mean:
> http://blogs.elpais.com/.a/6a00d8341bfb1653ef01539237a926970b-pi
> http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2692/2919/1600/9 tortilla.0.jpg
> 
> Thanks for all your answers anyway.


The only kind of eggs I know where only the yolks are runny is called "sunny side up" versus "over easy', which is for fried eggs: http://www.thekitchn.com/whats-the-difference-eggs-over-easy-vs-sunny-side-up-96069
The yolk is runny in both but it's completely liquid in "sunny side up" and only partially liquid in "over easy".

As to all these comments about "banning" certain words like "undercooked" or "runny", I think that's absurd because those words exist and are even very common so it's important to understand what they mean. It's just possible that a whole range of different adjectives apply to omelets and other forms of cooked eggs. This isn't some kind of self-appointed i984 Newspeak Committee intended to minimize the English vocabulary.


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## k-in-sc

William Stein said:


> The only kind of eggs I know where only the yolks are runny is called "sunny side up" versus "over easy', which is for fried eggs: http://www.thekitchn.com/whats-the-difference-eggs-over-easy-vs-sunny-side-up-96069
> The yolk is runny in both but it's completely liquid in "sunny side up" and only partially liquid in "over easy".
> 
> As to all these comments about "banning" certain words like "undercooked" or "runny", I think that's absurd because those words exist and are even very common so it's important to understand what they mean. It's just possible that a whole range of different adjectives apply to omelets and other forms of cooked eggs. This isn't some kind of self-appointed i984 Newspeak Committee intended to minimize the English vocabulary.


Soft-boiled, poached and coddled eggs can also have a cooked white but a runny yolk. 
Nobody is talking about "banning" anything from the language, just from menus and other commercial descriptions of food, because of the ick factor that non-natives may not be aware of.


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## Nicomon

I was about to mention soft-boiled and poached.   I'm not familiar with the term "coddled eggs". 

For those who don't like the sound of "runny" on say... a restaurant menu, "creamy",  which was suggested in the thread "tortilla de patatas poco cuajada" 
that Rubns linked to (post 11) sounds good to my French ears.

Just as I might say « crémeuse » in French if I didn't want to say « baveuse » (which is immediately what came to mind when I read « tortilla babosa »).   

The tortillas in the pictures do look "creamy" to me. 

*Edit :*  I just noticed that "creamy" was also suggested by an anglophone in the French-English thread "omelette baveuse" that k-in-sc linked to (post 20).
"(Deliciously) moist" is another suggestion that I like.   But then this is only my francophone opinion.   

I'll let coracora decide on the best term for her specific context.


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## jilar

Yo creo que con "runny" debería ser entendido. Aunque el diccionario sólo dice que se refiere a la "yema". Una tortilla española se hace batiendo los huevos, yema y clara juntas. Parece que "runny" corresponde más a cuando se cocina un huevo (frito o a la plancha), sin batirlo, y se le deja la yema (cuaja antes la clara) líquida, para mojar pan (qué rico  )
Cuajar es *solidificar*. Lo usal es cuajar un líquido (más o menos espeso, pero líquido) llevándolo al estado de sólido.
La sangre dentro de nuestras venas está líquida (pero es más espesa que el agua pura), si tenemos una herida/corte en la piel, la sangre (líquida) brota. Nuestro sistema de defensas hace que esa sangre al contacto con el aire cuaje/solidifique (se convierte en sólido), formando lo que llaman técnicamente "coágulos" (véase que proviene del latín "coagulare")

La leche, líquida también, se puede convertir en yogur (es más sólido que la leche),  e incluso en queso (aún más sólido), todo esto gracias al "cuajo" (sustancia que le echamos a la leche para que cuaje/solidifique)

Otra manera de decirlo: Una tortilla española poco hecha/cocinada (undercooked). Es lo que vemos en ambas imágenes. Y concretamente "Spanish omelette" que está más rica que cualquier otra


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## ElFilósofo

I always order my omelettes and scrambled eggs "soft" and the waiters/waitresses seem to understand. I frequent a diner where all the staff are Mexican and they have no trouble with me ordering my eggs "suave".

So I use "soft" but not "soft-set".  But I can't say if my usage is the norm.


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## Adolfo Afogutu

ElFilósofo said:


> I frequent a diner where all the staff are Mexican and they have no trouble with me ordering my eggs "suave".
> 
> .


If I were the one serving your table, I would understand that you don't want too much condiments, but just enough. "Poco cocida" is what I would say.


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## k-in-sc

I don't think "creamy" is appropriate here because it's unclear whether it refers to the texture or the ingredients.



Adolfo Afogutu said:


> If I were the one serving your table, I would understand that you don't want too much condiments, but just enough. "Poco cocida" is what I would say.


If you were waiting on her, you would understand her to mean she wanted them "suave" as opposed to "picante"?


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## Nicomon

On second thoughts... you may be right, k-in-sc.  I had this definition in mind, based on the sample pictures (emphasis mine) : 





> resembling cream in consistency or taste; *soft and **smooth*.


 I would be less surprised to read this on a menu than "barely firm" or "on the runny side" though.  

If than doesn't work, then I'd vote for "soft" (by itself) or "soft set"  - if "runny" is to be avoided.  
 In any event, the decision isn't mine to make.


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## Adolfo Afogutu

k-in-sc said:


> If you were waiting on her, you would understand her to mean she wanted them "suave" as opposed to "picante"?


Sí, en una situación hipotética en que no pudiera asegurarme qué es lo que quiere decir con "suave" (situación que nunca se daría en la realidad, claro) tal vez entendería eso. En mi entorno "comer suave" es comer sano y la cantidad justa; comer algo "suave" es comer algo que no te haga mal: siempre ceno algo suave si al otro día tengo que viajar. En mi mente, comer con mucha pimienta, por ejemplo, es lo opuesto a comer "algo suave".


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## k-in-sc

Thanks for that explanation. And would you say "poco cuajada" here?

Speaking of disgusting, I have to say that the RP "tortillas españolas" I've had that turned out to be made with ... frozen french fries  ... deserve a spot in the hall of shame.

My best menu-friendly option for "poco cuajada": (very) lightly set.
Examples


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## Daisies

Soft set is more appealing, but it does not give the idea of anything liquid remaining.  "Runny" captures this idea correctly, whether or not it has appealing connotations to everyone.  I agree with aloofsocialite that an egg with a "runny yolk" is tasty.


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## Adolfo Afogutu

k-in-sc said:


> And would you say "poco cuajada" here?


Yo no, pero no significa que esté mal ni mucho menos. Yo diría "los huevos un poco crudos". Los huevos fritos me gustan un poco crudos. Soy candidato a pescarme salmonella...


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## Sallyb36

coracora said:


> Perhaps I should have explained better what a _tortilla poco cuajada _is. It isn't the white of the egg which is runny. It's the yolk. And in Spain, a _tortilla poco cuajada_, with its runny yolk, is delicious. The omelette is well cooked but when you cut it, some of the yolk is still liquid. In these two pictures you can see what I mean:
> http://blogs.elpais.com/.a/6a00d8341bfb1653ef01539237a926970b-pi
> http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2692/2919/1600/9 tortilla.0.jpg
> 
> Thanks for all your answers anyway.



So I would then say "a tortilla with runny yolk"


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## k-in-sc

Sallyb36 said:


> So I would then say "a tortilla with runny yolk"


But the yolk is not separate, and the dish is not really runny either.


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## Sallyb36

no, the dish is not runny, but the yolk is - and that is generally desirable in an egg...and it is only the yolk part that is still runny, the white is not


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## k-in-sc

But they're beaten together, and yolk sets at a lower temperature than white ...



*Temperature / °C**Egg white**Egg yolk*62Begins to set, runnyLiquid64Partly set, runnyBegins to set66Largely set, still runnySoft solid70Tender solidSoft solid, waxy80FirmFirm90Rubbery solidCrumbly texture


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## jilar

coracora, al final, yo en tu caso ¿sabes qué haría?
Entraba en la cocina y hacía la tortilla como me gusta, una vez hecha la cortas y se la muestras a los cocineros y les dices:
-La quiero así.


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## Sallyb36

how about a "not quite set tortilla"


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## Aliangeli05

I'd simply say "*lightly cooked*", because that is what it is and therefore best understood.

Tender is for meats generally, sounds weird in reference to eggs.


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## Nicomon

49 posts down the road, while we're offering different ideas... coracora who asked right from start : 





> Creéis que podría usarse *runny omelette *para hablar de una tortilla poco cuajada


seems to have disappeared.  So my guess is that she might be happy with "_runny omelette_" for her context (whichever it is). 

Since *cuajado *can be translated as_ *set *_(see post #10) I still believe that *soft set *(which matches  _soft boiled = runny yolk_) would be a good "neutral" choice for those who don't like the sound of "_runny_". But I do have a preference (if it was for a menu, for instance) for _moist and/or creamy_.   

For what it's worth and as found on *this page*  :





> *A recipe for a perfect, moist and creamy Spanish tortilla, just like the ones Toni's mother used to make*. [...]
> But be warned when buying tortilla. It may be served at every tapas bar in Spain, but unless it's still *moist and creamy in the centre *it can be worse than dull.


 And there isn't any cream in the basic recipe given on the page.


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## coracora

I'm back and very surprised by the huge "success" that my question has had. I've never thought that a question about an omelette could be so controversial. I only wanted to know how to say "poco cuajada" for my personal interest, not for a menú. I understand that we are not only talking about language but also about cultural habits. In Spain, It's normal to eat "tortilla poco cuajada". It's not disgusting, as many of you suggested. But I understand that in UK and USA people don't usually eat omelettes cooked this way. That's the reason why to have an accurate answer is difficult.
Anyway, I appreciate all your answers. Thank you.


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## Rubns

coracora said:


> In Spain, It's normal to eat "tortilla poco cuajada". It's not disgusting.



Yes, but it's worth mentioning, however, that "tortilla poco cuajada" is banned in bars and restaurants unless it's made with pasteurised eggs (huevina). Personally I find it disgusting, but there's no accounting for taste.

Cheers.


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## coracora

It's not banned in the bars where I eat it, but anyway, as I said, I only wanted to know it for personal interest, because I like it like this and I cook it this way.


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## Rubns

coracora said:


> It's not banned in the bars where I eat it, but anyway, as I said, I only wanted to know it for personal interest, because I like it like this and I cook it this way.



"...banned *unless* it's made with pasteurised eggs"


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