Tapas Recipes - How to make Tapas

Tapas are typical appetizers of all kinds and popular in the Spanish cuisine. Traditionally, when you drink something in a Spanish bar they will offer you something for free. These free things, called tapas are usually, a portion of tortillas, peanuts or anything that might be an appetizer.

Usually you go from a bar to another one, drinking one or two beers (or juice) at each one and trying their tapas. In many regions of Spain it is common to go from bar to bar in order to have your dinner or supper based on tapas. Today, with the large variety of tapas, is better to stay in just one place and have your meal based on tapas or raciones (same ingredients as for tapas but in larger quantity). Today, nearly every kind of dish might be served as »Tapas«. Among the few dishes that are not included in the Tapas category are Gazpacho, Paella and Salmorejo (another Spanish soup).

Tapas have become a part of the national identity of the Spanish and are served also on official meetings. Tapas were introduced after the Spanish civil war, although is not excluded to be an antic habit, because eating small quantities of food is tricking the hunger. But likewise, it is not to be excluded that Tapas were finally introduced by bar owners, who wanted to gain additional clients.
The word Tapas is derived from Spanish word “tapar” which means to cover. Usually, the glasses and bottles of wine from houses or bars were covered with slices of bacon in order to keep away the mosquitoes and house flies.

Among the common Tapas there are also small sandwiches with bacon or even pickles. Also, shrimp or and Serrano might be served as Tapas. In zone Northern areas, such as Navara, »Pinchos« (Snacks) are served rather than Tapas. The Spanish cuisine influenced cooking habits world-wide, and you shouldn’t be surprised to find similarities even in authentic Mexican recipes.

Anyway, the Spanish habit says that before you’re having your main course you should warm up with some almonds, green olives, bread, tomatoes and garlic sauce. This might reflect the initial idea of Tapas.