Guide to Spanish Tapas
It is said that when Alfonso X, king of Castile, became ill, his doctor advised eating small bites of food and wine between meals. After he recovered, Alfonso X prohibited taverns from serving wine without an accompanying snack, which evolved into the modern day tapas. Others believe tapas originated from the bread that was placed on top of a drink to protect it from flies, as tapa means “lid” or “cover” in Spanish.
Either way, tapas, a cross between an appetizer and a snack, continue to be extremely popular in Spain. Tapas are eaten throughout the day and are served at all nearly all Spanish bars and restaurants. There are many varieties of tapas and they can be eaten before the meal, as a midday snack, or, if you order a few, as a meal in itself. With plenty of tapas to choose from, and small, relatively inexpensive portions, it is easy and fun to order multiple tapas and split them amongst a group. In case you need help deciphering between all the options, here is a list of some of the more common tapas in Spain.
· Aceitunas are an assortment of olives and are popular at the bar with drinks.
· Boquerones or anchoas are fresh anchovies and are sometimes marinated.
· Croquettes are small, lightly breaded and fried rolls that typically contain either ham or chicken and are served warm.
· Tortilla de patatas, or Tortilla española, can be served either hot or cold. Similar to an omlete, tortilla de patatas, contains eggs, fried potatoes, and onions.
· Bacalao is salted cod, often served with bread and tomatoes.
· Patatas bravas, served hot, are fried chunks of potato topped with a spicy tomato sauce and, often times, an aioli garlic sauce.
· Gambas Al Ajillo are prawns sautéed in olive oil, garlic, and chili pepper flecks.
· Chorizo is sausage that is usually cooked in wine (al vino) or cider (a la sidra).
· Albóndigas are Spanish meatballs, typically made with a veal and pork blend. They are often served with a sauce or on a bed of potatoes.
· Pan con Tomate is a simple and traditional Catalan tapa. Toasted bread rubbed with garlic and tomatoes, drizzled with olive oil, and sprinkled with salt.
· Bombas are fried mashed potato balls that sometimes include meat. Bombas are sometimes topped with an aioli sauce.
Pescaditos fritos is a variety of fried fish.
Back to Barcelona articles.
