Spain's Popular Snack "Tekefingers"... Is It Really Venezuelan Bread? [Delicious Stories]

Tekefingers: Spain's Beloved Snack
Inspired by Bread from Venezuelan Refugees

Editor's NoteIt is said that the first snacks were discovered in the ancient Mesopotamian civilization. In other words, snacks have been present at every moment of human history. From biscuits and chocolate to ice cream, we bring you delicious stories behind the snacks we love.

In Spain, there is a popular street food called "Tekefingers." It can be found everywhere, from movie theaters and hotels to water parks, and is even exported to the United States. Although it appears to be a traditional Spanish dish, it is actually inspired by a traditional Venezuelan bread. This soul food originated from Venezuelan refugees who emigrated abroad to escape political instability in their homeland.

Tekefingers: Spain's National Snack

Tekefingers. Tekefingers Homepage

One of Spain's representative snacks, Tekefingers, consists of thin bread rolled up and filled with cheese, sausage, meat, and other ingredients. It is produced and sold by a company of the same name headquartered in Spain. Today, the company operates more than 100 directly managed stores in Spain alone, supplies products to movie theaters, department stores, water parks, and resorts, and exports them to the United States and Chile.

Although it seems like a traditional Spanish food, the history of Tekefingers is actually quite short. It began in 2016 as a small shop in Madrid, the capital of Spain, with just a single kiosk counter. However, the business experienced explosive growth in a short period after supplying bread to a well-known Spanish movie theater operator the following year. Gabriel Federico, the founder and CEO of Tekefingers, has since established himself as one of Spain's leading young entrepreneurs.

Teque?o: Once Enjoyed by Venezuela's Wealthy

Venezuelan-style Teque?o baked in the traditional way. Reddit capture

In reality, Tekefingers originated not in Spain but in Venezuela, and is said to have been inspired by the traditional Venezuelan bread known as Teque?o. Teque?o is made by rolling thinly flattened, fried bread into a long shape and filling it with cheese or other ingredients. It resembles an American hot dog and is also similar to European pastries, which are desserts made by layering and baking dough.

According to "My Kitchen," a local cookbook written by Venezuelan gourmet Armando Scannone, Teque?o was born in the Venezuelan city of Los Teques. In the past, when Venezuela was wealthy, Los Teques was a popular resort and vacation spot for the rich. It is said that a wealthy individual once asked his personal chef to create a dessert commemorating Los Teques. Scannone speculated, "Teque?o requires carefully crafted dough made by a skilled baker," and added, "Any family that enjoyed such food was likely wealthy."

After Venezuela entered a period of rapid economic growth in the 1960s, Teque?o became popular among ordinary people as well. It was commonly served to guests at major family events such as weddings. This period also saw the overall development of Venezuela's snack culture. Savoy, a leading Venezuelan snack manufacturer, released popular chocolate-flavored treats such as Cocosette and Susy during this time.

A Dish Spread by the Venezuelan Diaspora

On the 3rd of last month (local time), during the ongoing US airstrikes, Caracas, the capital of Venezuela. Photo by AP Yonhap News

The reason Teque?o became a national snack in Spain, across the Atlantic, is due to Venezuelan refugees. As the dictatorship of former President Hugo Chavez, who was elected in 1998, intensified, some Venezuelans began fleeing their homeland for overseas destinations. This group is often referred to as the "Venezuelan Diaspora," drawing a parallel to the Jewish diaspora expelled from Palestine in the past. After Venezuela's economic crisis reached a critical level in the 2010s, immigration to Spain surged dramatically.

Federico, the CEO who founded Tekefingers, was also part of this Venezuelan diaspora, leaving his homeland in 2011 to settle abroad. He originally studied computer engineering at the prestigious Andres Bello Catholic University in Venezuela and dreamed of a career as an IT entrepreneur, but after being the victim of two kidnapping incidents, he ultimately chose to emigrate.

In an interview with a local Spanish media outlet, CEO Federico recalled, "I wanted to grow up in Venezuela, but it was simply impossible. At first, I went to Canada, and then I settled in Barcelona, Spain. After spending my first week in Barcelona, I finally felt I could put down roots somewhere." Tekefingers, in this sense, is a food that carries the bittersweet emotions of Venezuelans who were forced to leave their beloved homeland.