Tapas are small plates of savory foods and appetizers that are served in Spanish cuisine, often with drinks. They can range from simple items like olives or cheese to more elaborate dishes like stuffed peppers. The tradition of tapas began in the 13th century when the King of Castille ordered that wine be accompanied by small plates of food. Today, tapas have evolved and are influenced by globalization and different regional cuisines in Spain, but still retain their role as small dishes to share among friends with drinks.

1. Tapas
Fonseca Go Simbulan Villegas

2. [ TAH-pahs ]
● Appetizers that usually accompany SHERRY or
COCKTAILS
● Form an entire meal and can range from simple items
such as olives or cubes of ham and cheese; cold
omelets, snails in a spicy sauce, stuffed peppers and
miniature sandwiches

3. What are tapas?
● A variety of small savory ● Tapa = to cover
Spanish dishes, often served ● A slice of cheese or ham placed
as a snack with drinks over a drink to keep flies out, to
hide the smell of bad wine, and
● “Tapear” – to go from bar to to prevent the wind from
bar for tapas and drinks blowing any dirt that might
spoil the wine
● Commonly eaten standing up
● The “cover” does not only protect
at small tables or even your drink but also helps to slow
upturned barrels down your drinking
● Eaten ahead of the meal while ● Designed for people to be able
having a drink with friends to pick the items off one by
● Tapas bar = Tasca one, so are therefore small and
easily edible.
“Anything can be tapas as long as it is small and served with
your drink.”

5. Tapas either are of…
● Cosas de picar (“things to nibble”) – finger food
● Cheeses, ham and sausage, omelette, bunuelos (fritters) montaditos ,
empanadas, bocadillos and boquerones
● Pinchos are tapas eaten with a utensil (like banderillas, decorated
toothpicks that get their name because they look like the darts used
in a bullfight)
● Cazuelas (little dishes) – comes with sauce and cooked in
earthenware cooking plates
● Albóndigas (meatballs) or shrimp fried with garlic

6. ● 13th C. – reigned over Castille
● Became ill and had to regularly sip
some wine with small appetizers
● Once he recovered from illness,
he decreed that no wine was to be
served in any of the taverns in
Castille UNLESS the wine was
served with something to eat
King Alfonso X
“The Wise”

7. Aceitunas
Olives with a filling of either bell pepper or anchovies
Bacalao
Very thinly sliced salted cod, which is usually
served with bread and tomatoes
Chorizo al vino blanco
Slowly cooked sausage in white wine

8. Mejillones
Rejillenos
Spicy stuffed clams

9. Queso co achoas
Cured Manchego with anchovies on top
Calamares a la romana

10. ● Introduction of new ingredients and cooking techniques brought
upon by globalization
● Tapas served worldwide would often reflect their country’s produce
● Evolved through the reinvention of traditional dishes using new
methods of cooking
● Molecular gastronomy
"Traditional cuisine that does not evolve will disappear.
Traditional Spanish cooking is in constant evolution and it
is in its best moment. Without traditional cuisine, we would
not have the distinctive modern cuisine that we see in
Spain today.“
~ José Andrés
Modern Evolution

11. Cantabrian anchoa with a
dollop of smoked tomato
sorbet and sardines

12. ● Catalonia – rich, heavy relies ● Andalusia – lightly fried seafood,
heavily on pork and also provide the hosts tapas influenced by Morocco
specialty of small, sautéed land snails, (heavy, chickpea stew served in small,
eaten fresh from the shell dark brown pottery bowl)
● Basque Country – tooth-pick ● Madrid – land of roasts, produces
pierced pintxos on pieces of bread with Manchego
a different size of toothpick, ● a slice of Spanish tortilla with a
determining its price: dollop of garlic mayonnaise or a
● Simple short stick – lowest cost stuffed bell pepper, cooked with a
tapa (a slice of cheap ham or thick tomato sauce
Spanish tortilla)
● Plastic sword or long, elegant stick
– higher end sample (a cut of
steak cooked in whiskey)
● Drink is often served with only a small
amount of beer or Txacoli
Regional Differences

13. http://www.ricksteves.com/plan/destinations/spain/tapas.htm
http://spanishfood.about.com/od/discoverspanishfood/a/SpanCuisineGenl.
htm
http://www.findingdulcinea.com/features/food/foodie/2008/September/Ta
pas.html
http://worldvillage.com/tapas-small-plates-an-interesting-history
http://azahar-sevilla.com/sevilletapas/tapas-101/
http://lasbuenasmigas.blogspot.com/
http://www.gastronomiaycia.com/
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/encyclopedia/definition/tapas/2433/
http://www.melhotornot.com/movida-aqui-level-1-500-bourke-st-
melbourne/
Sources