Tapas

TAPAS, THE ART OF EATING STANDING UP

In front of each of them, on the bar or on small shelves along the walls, is a small plate with a few bites of something, a tapa. Tapa? Yes from the verb "tapar" to cover It is said that tapas were invented a hundred years ago between Jerez and Sevilla to keep the dust off a glass of wine. A tradition that is so well tuned to the Andalusian art of living that over the years it has developed into a way of eating all on its own and has spread to most of Spain. And yet tapas are more related to custom and practise than to table arts.

Have you noticed how people drink in Spain, even today? Most of the time wine or beer and always with something to eat, the question "Le pongo algo para picar? Would you like anything to nibble? - always following an order of any drink. On the other hand, it is very rare to see anybody drinking on his or her own. Drinking while picking at small portions of food, is a deeply social habit and el tapeo could be defined as a way of meeting friends in different places to have drinks and conversation, a very Spanish way of relating to people. But tapear is not just that, it also includes pasear - to stroll. A very important part of the ritual consists in moving from one place to another looking for a particular atmosphere or speciality. The true aficionados follow routes they have specifically designed according to the time of the year, the order of the dishes or the tastes of the friends who accompany them.

But what are tapas made of? Well, anything which is easy to eat, so that the natural flow of conversation is not interrupted. Any dish can become a tapa and the recipes follow traditional Spanish cooking. The most frequent among hot tapas are snails in a hot sauce, tripe, prawns, fried with garlic, meat balls or cod in a tomato sauce. Any kind of fired fish is a very popular delicacy, especially in Andalusia where women are known to have the deftest hands. The choice among cold tapas is huge ranging from pickled or stuffed olives, pickled fresh anchovies, all kinds of shellfish, Manchego cheese, salt and wind-cured ham, all types of paprika and blood-sausages, fish and vegetables salads and, of course, the famous thick potato omelette - Spanish tortilla.

So now it is up to you to try. Start by selecting the right group of friends. Four people is the correct number. Meet in a bar best known to everyone, start by asking for as many different tapas as you are in the group and don't hesitate to try the dishes of the others. Then move on to another place. One dish in each bar or media racion with various forks if several want to try the same thing. And above all stick to the same drink. Have a good time!