I can hear you asking, "What is a TAPA??" It is a delectable small bite of food--not unlike American APPETIZERS. Apparently, the tradition of tapas began in the south of Spain in the late 1800s or early 1900s. Tavern owners would place a slice of bread over the top of the glass of wine or sherry, protecting it from airborne objects. Some tavern owners began adding tidbits of ham, cheese or the like to the bread, hoping to attract more business. The "edible lid" (tapa) became a tradition, and it was always included in the price of the drink.
In Spain today, putting a lid on a drink is no longer necessary, but enjoying a variety of smaller sized portions developed into a serious way of life. Today's tapas are essentially appetizer-sized portions of any type of food that can be easily shared. They can be snacks or combined to become entire meals. Tapas are ideal for filling that little hunger gap at any hour! From something as simple as a dish of olives to a more complicated dish like shrimp sautéed in garlic, olive oil and white wine; traditional Spanish tapas are sure to please everyone.
7 comments:
Tapas are awesome things! I live five hours from Barcelona, so have been there a handful of times. It's the ultimate treat to go tapas bar hopping there. Totally delicious and pretty simple to make. Fun way to entertain.
Omg, you're making my mouth water. I know what's for dinner tonight. There's an excellent tapas bar in my neighborhood. It's the only place I'll eat brussell sprouts. ;)
Thanks for the comments! We have been going to the same tapas place here in Sacramento since the early 90s.....They offer a great mix of traditional and more "Califonianized" tapas in a lively environment. Have been told by many who have traveled extensively in Spain that it comes close to tapas bars in Madrid in ambiance.
Great post! I'm hungry!
OH MY,It all so yummy.
Looks delicious! We have a new tapas restaurant in town I can't wait to try.
A few years ago after a fabulous trip to Barcelona I came home to Sydney and made that year's Christmas lunch a buffet of different tapas..years later everybody still raves about it as the best Christmas lunch I've done yet!
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