Let's talk about Spanish tapas. A wonderful way of enjoying the food culture with small delicious dishes of traditional or modern style. History and tradition, beloved and treasured, this sweet and savoury style of serving food is an absolute must-try.
Tapas is the perfect way to explore the Spanish food culture. Small dishes of delicious traditional cuisine, bitesize snacks or modern fusion, the options are many. Perfect as a light lunch or as a plater with a couple of different dishes to share.
What are Spanish Tapas
Spanish Tapas is synonymous with a great climate, hot summer days and for Spanish visitors a true holiday favourite. For locals, it's a great way to get together in the afternoons with friends and family or as a light lunch option. Usually served with a ”caña” in the shade, a small beer about 25cl. Tapas is not one type of cuisine, it is the collective name for the style of serving food, rather than specific dishes. It could be cold or hot foods, eaten with cutlery or as a Pincho, on a slice of bread. A Tapas is typically a main dish, served as a small portion, the size of a starter or appetizer. It can be hot dishes like stews, sausages or meatballs, as well as cold dishes like fish, potato salads, cheeses and omelettes.
The history of Tapas
The origin of Tapas is unclear and there are lots of different stories about the origin. We will probably never know for sure how this popular way of enjoying dishes came to be, but here are some of the most popular beliefs.
The meaning of the word tapa is "cover" or "lid" which has given rise to the popular story that the original tapas food started with king Alfonso XIII when he stopped by a famous tavern in the Andalusian city Cádiz. The story says that the king ordered wine and the waitress covered the glass with a slice of cured ham before offering it to the king, to protect the wine from the beach sand due to Cádiz's windy climate. After the king eat the slice of bread and drank the wine, he ordered another glass of wine with a lid "tapa".
Some claims that king Alfonso X of Castile recovered from an illness by drinking wine with small dishes between meals. And that he after decided that all tavernas should serve small snacks or tapas with alcohol to prevent his people from getting ill. Others say that the origin was in the pre-19th-century when taverns would offer free tapas of the house speciality to travellers so that they world spread the word to other travellers. Or that Tapas started when Sherry drinkers in Andalusia would cover their glasses from flies with pieces of bread, cheese or ham. No matter the origin of the Tapas, we are all glad that this wonderful way of serving dishes is available for all of us to try.
How to eat Tapas
You could either eat Tapas as a snack, starter or as a main course if you chose to eat a couple of different tapas. It's totally up to you. Preferably eaten with a cold beer or a glass of Spanish wine, but of course, non-alcoholic drinks and soft drinks are also acceptable. Hot or cold, savoury and sweet, with a great variation of Tapas there is something for everyone's taste and preference. Enjoy salty Pimientos de Padrón Fritos (fried Padron peppers) with a beer or sweet Berenjenas Con Miel (fried Eggplant With Honey) in the afternoon to get some energy. A filling tapa of Ensalada Rusa (potato and tuna salad) or Patata bravas (fried potatoes with hot sauce) as a light lunch or sit down in the evening and share a larger option of tapas as a main meal with family or friends. How you decide to enjoy your Tapas is completely up to you.
Types of Tapas
Some Tapas are served all over Spain and some differ from region to region. This makes the options more or less endless, so you can always find a new one to try. Some of the classic dishes are served all around the country are:
Albóndigas en salsa de tomate - meatballs in toato sause
Ensalada Rusa - potato and tuna salad
Pimientos de padrón fritos - fired Padron peppers
Tortilla - Potato omelette
Queso con aceites - cheese in olive oil
Croquetas – croquettes filled with meat or spinach
Boquerones - anchovies soaked in vinegar
Patata bravas - fried potatoes with hot sauce
Gambas pil pil - garlic and chilli prawns
Pinchos, Pintxos and Pica Pica
Pinchos, Pintxos or Pica Pica, call it what you like, no matter the name the dishes are delicious, traditional or creative. Pintxos as called in the Basque country or Pica Pica in Catalan is the same way of serving food as a Pinchos. The type of food item can vary quite a lot depending on the region as well as the restaurant. There are divided opinions about if a Pinch is a Tapa or not, but what we can say is that it is sold in Tapas Bars and eaten in the same way.
Pinchos are eaten more or less all around Spain even though it's most popular in the northern parts of the country. The Pincho comes from “to pinchar” which means “to pierce” and is the typical way of serving the dish. A slice of bread with a topping, usually served with a cocktail stick to hold it in place or just a small bitesize snack on a stick. Of course, the cocktail stick is not obligatory, but the size of the Pinch should be a small snack, eaten in just a few bites.
Make a Tapas evening at home
Making a tapas evening at home is a great way to experience the Spanish culture and some of the dishes are pretty easy to make. You don't have to serve up a lot of options, just pick a few and serve them with some great Spanish red wine and make an evening out of it. Dishes like Pimientos de padrón fritos, Berenjenas Con Miel, Gambas pil pil and Spanich cheese, serano and choritso boards are easy to make at home. It's also great as starters, sharing platers or as party food, if you pick the smaller finger food tapas or Pinchos. Perfect as a conversation-starter where you can take the chance to read up about the different types of Tapas and regions and of course, the absolute best way to enjoy a Spanish wine.
