In Spanish tapas cuisine, what are papas arrugadas cooked in?

In Spanish tapas cuisine, papas arrugadas are cooked in heavily salted water.

Papas arrugadas are small potatoes boiled in very salty water until their skins wrinkle. They are a traditional food of the Canary Islands, where local potatoes are especially important to regional cuisine. After cooking, the potatoes may be left in the pot briefly so the remaining salt forms a coating on the skin.

The name means “wrinkled potatoes.” The wrinkling happens as the potatoes cook and lose some moisture, while the salt contributes flavor to the skin. They are commonly served with mojo, the Canary Islands’ family of sauces, including red mojo and green mojo.

Papas arrugadas are not deep-fried potatoes, despite sometimes appearing alongside other tapas. The small potatoes are boiled whole, usually with their skins intact. Their traditional preparation also differs from papas arrugadas-style recipes elsewhere, which may imitate the appearance without using the same salty cooking method.