Tapas are a recent treat in the United States restaurants, but they’ve been around for a long time in Spain! Tapas are appetizers or small plates.
There are many versions of how tapas originated. My favorite reason of the origin of tapas is that the Spaniards covered their wine glasses with small plates of appetizers to keep the flies out of their wine! In Spain, we tried the tapas method by strolling from one beautiful restaurant or tavern to the next, ordering a few small plates of tapas. We absorbed the environment of the specific restaurant we were in and we moved on to the next one and tried some more! We didn’t do this every night because it could get expensive. But we tried it to get into the culture and cuisine of Spain. It is a popular belief, in the Mediterranean countries, that people should not drink alcohol on an empty stomach so tapas are a perfect way to mix a little food with a little drink!
http://www.orceserranohams.com/history-of-tapas/ http://azahar-
sevilla.com/sevilletapas/tapas-101/
Some of our favorite tapas were:
- chorizo sausage,
- olives,
- calamari,
- croquettes,
- manchego cheese
What a fantastic custom of Spain! Variety while strolling and extending the night!
(photos from internet)
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