Tapas: They're More Than Just Apps

By Amigofoods

by Brian Alcamo

If you’re even slightly interested in Spanish culture, Spanish cooking, or even just appetizers in general, you’re most likely familiar with the concept of tapas. Maybe you’ve been to a tapas bar in a city near you, or a party where they’re served. Even if you’ve simply been to a restaurant and decided to make a meal with your friends out of shared ~apps~ as opposed to entrees, you’ve made a tapas-inspired choice. But what’s so special about those teeny, tiny portions? And what makes them an iconic part of Spanish cuisine? Let’s find out!

The Origins of Tapas

Unsurprisingly, the origin of the tapa is hard to track down. Each region in Spain declares itself the home of the culinary tradition, and there’s an origin story for practically every century after the year 1100 CE.

Many of these stories point the food’s history towards Spain’s medieval kings, but regardless of the origin story’s protagonist, one practically inarguable portion of every anecdote can be found in the word’s etymology. The word tapa comes from the verb taper or “to cover” in English, and una tapa is also the Spanish word for “a lid.” Many of the stories down below include an innovative bartender using small slices of bread, cheese, and/or ham as a way of protecting customers’ drinks from dust and flies. In this way, the tapa was a literal lid for the drink. Cutesy, right?

There are plenty of potential starting places for the beginnings of tapas in Spain. Here are a few of them in chronological order.

1. Mid-1200s: Alfonso the Wise Cracker (a literal cracker)

King Alfonso X (El Sabio, “The Wise”) ate tiny portions of food to quell the effects of all the wine he was prescribed to drink on account of an illness (medieval medicine sounds like an absolute dream). Upon recovery, the king declared that everyone in his domain should serve small amounts of food with their alcohol to prevent public drunkenness. This decree was also a way of helping feed the poor who spent their money on wine rather than food.

2. Late 1400s: Inquisition Infiltration

Sadly and antisemetically, this origins story claims that tapas with ham or other non-kosher foods were used as a way of identifying Jewish people during the Spanish Inquisition.

3. 1500s: Stink Seal

Later in the 16th Century, tavern owners in Castille-La Mancha took the concept of tapa-as-lid to the next level, using it to not only protect the drink from aeronautical invasions but also to conceal the poor quality of their wine. They served mature (read: stinky) cheese on top of wine glasses to mask the sour odors of their bad wine.

4. Early 1600s: Same Story, Different King

Very similar to the story of King Alfonso X, King Felipe III wanted to require food be served in bars to prevent drunken debauchery. 

5. Late 1700s: Roadtrip Treats

During the late 18th Century, travel throughout Spain had begun to become more common. What hadn’t become more common yet, though, was reading. Tapas were offered to guests of hotels, inns, and hostels as a way of informing customers of the meals available, since most people were illiterate at the time. The tiny version of the big meal was displayed on the pot’s tapa. 

6. Late 1800s: 

On a trip to the beachside town of Cadiz, King Alfonso XII ordered a glass of wine. The wine was served with a slice of ham to prevent beach sand from blowing into the glass. On the next round of drinks, the King ordered his wine specifically with a tapa.

These six legends of the beginnings of tapas only scratch the surface of tapa lore-galore, but luckily all of them conclude with the wonderful continuation of this fabulous eating style.

Tapas Today

Tapas remained so popular because they provided a fun way for people to eat a small snack before their late dinners, since Spaniards typically eat their third meal very late, around 9 or 10 pm. Going out to multiple tapas bars is considered an activity in its own right, and is referred to as ir de tapas. Nowadays, residents of Spain are much more open to eating an entire meal composed of tapas, forgoing more traditional and formal dining practices. Some other verbs that can apply to the activity of going out for tapas include picar which means “to pick,” along and the more modern verb tapear which means “to have tapas.”

Vocabulary for Your Night Out On the (Tapas) Town

• Ir de tapas - To go out for tapas

• El barman - Bartender

• Tenir hambre - To be hungry

• La cuenta - The bill

• Salir - To go out

In some cities such as Granada, Almeria, or Jaen, tapas flow freely alongside alcoholic beverages (salty food = more drink orders). However, complimentary tapas aren’t customary all over Spain, and many tapas-eaters order and pay for tapas from a menu like any other dish. If bar-goers want to order a larger portion of a specific tapa, they can ask for a ración.

Tapas have become part of the Spanish national identity, and have become a point of cultural pride for all Spaniards. Cities across the country compete to be the number one spot for having tapas. According to Spain Holidays, Malaga, Granada, Madrid, Seville, Cordoba, and San Sebastian are the six leading cities for authentic and delicious tapas in Spain. 

Certain olives, nuts, meats, and cheeses conquer the entire Iberian peninsula and are able to be found at every bar from Galicia to Malaga. The most common tapas are easy-to-prepare foods that typically don’t require cooking. Think chorizo, olives, cheese, and cured meats. Some common cooked tapas include patatas/papas bravas (delicious fried potatoes served with a spicy sauce), tortilla de patatas (a Spanish omelet), meatballs with tomato sauce, and fried calamari. Beyond these typical tastings, flavors and ingredients of tapas morph and modify according to the traditions and tastes of each Spanish region. For instance in Spain’s Basque Country, their local tapas are known as pintxos, which are served on a slice of bread and held together by a toothpick. There are also tapas known as montaditos and banderillas.

Tapas have since become a global phenomenon, meaning that most anything can be a tapa (if you believe in yourself). Even more experimental restaurateurs will “tapafy” their menus, not being afraid to use non-Spanish ingredients or modern cooking techniques. Not convinced? Check out Natsumi Tapas, a Japanese-Italian fusion tapas restaurant in New York City. That’s 4 countries represented all in one tiny tapa!

Tapas are fun. They’re small, they’re cute, they’re casual. Through tapas, Spain has exported an incredibly powerful part of its culture that goes beyond recipes and touches the daily lives of people around the world. Not only do tapas hark back to Spain for what people choose to eat, it also points back to the country for how people choose to eat.

Thanks for Reading!

Do you enjoy tapas? Comment your favorite dish below, and be sure to share this post with a friend!

Thumbnail photo by Sonia.