Post-pub nosh deathmatch: Kapsalon v quesadillas

In contrast, there isn't much ingredient flexibility with the classic kapsalon. You'll need some chips, kebab meat, gouda cheese, garlic sauce and a bit of lettuce.

Kebab outlets are a bit thin on the ground around here, so I'm obliged to the lads down at the Ateshgah ("Fire Temple", in case you were wondering) restaurant in Avila for agreeing to fill me a tray with meat hewn from their rotating kebab animal.

Here's how to concoct kapsalon:

You then just chuck on a bit more garlic sauce and you're ready to roll. Naturally, you'll need some assistance in moving your nourishment from the kitchen to the eating area (normally the sofa, in a domestic scenario), and in our case we volunteered the bar owners' son – Andrés – to do the honours:

Note the loving attention to detail, with the quesadillas sliced pizza-style and garnished with a chilli sauce. The kapsalon, meanwhile, looks deceptively harmless with its topping of lettuce and sauce:

Well, the proof of the pudding and all that, so the moment had arrived for the locals to get stuck in. It's fair to say the Spanish are pretty conservative when it comes to food, and in this snap it looks like bar owner, Juanjo (centre), is trying to work out a way to make a run for it while my back is turned:

In the end, though, I needn't have worried. In about 10 minutes, four trays of kapsalon had been consigned to history, along with three plates of quesadillas – all washed down with beer, naturally.

And the verdict? The jury ruled quesadillas "a great snack", but just not substantial enough for post-pub beer-soaking duties. Kapsalon, on the other hand, proved a huge hit.

I must confess I had my own doubts, but it's fair to say kapsalon is a real contender to dethrone the traditional Brit doner. The chip/cheese/kebab meat combo should satisfy the most urgent demands for nourishment in bulk, while the lettuce provides the vital illusion that you're not hitting your heart hard with a greasy hammer. ®

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