Croqueta, one of Spain's most classic tapas. It is a small amount of dough with minced ingredients, bound together with béchamel sauce, dipped in egg, coated in breadcrumbs and then fried in a generous amount of oil. they are originally from France: croquette means crunchy. The indispensable béchamel sauce was invented, or at least perfected, by Louis de Béchameil, who went on to become the head chef for King Louis XIV of France. The most popular stuffing are mashed potatoes (croquetas de papa), ham and mozzarella cheese (croquetas de jamón y queso), and rice (croquetas de arroz). They may also be stuffed wth pollo (chicken), bacalao (cod), setas (mushrooms), espinaca (spnach), pulpo (octopus)