Now that I’ve had it, I see it everywhere. ”I had this today for the first time and it’s got to be one the simplest yet most delicious nibble I’ve ever had. You get the idea! I’ve included below a note from a diary that I kept on my first trip to Spain in 1994. You’ll see the bread piled decoratively at the bar to be eaten as is or topped with shaved cheese such as Manchego, thinly sliced Serrano or Iberico ham, smoked salmon or other fish, white sardines, etc. This is one of the classics in Spanish tapas presentations. The tradition of serving small bites with drink to begin the meal (or make it a meal) is now wide spread and of course the holy grail for tapas is Spain and Portugal where you’ll find tapas bars everywhere.įollowing are some of my favorite tapas. Still another theory claims that some unscrupulous tavern keepers discovered that, if they covered cheap wine with a plate of strong cheese or meat, customers wouldn’t notice how bad the beverage was. This clever move made customers come back, thanks to the bar’s apparent generosity.Īnother theory is that since tapas bars used to be standing only (no stools), customers who ordered a snack had nowhere to put their plate except on top of their glass – hence the tradition was born. It didn’t take bartenders long to realize that they could use the saucer to serve some nuts, a little ham, some olives, some cheese. Tapa literally means “a cover” or “a lid” – and this is a common thread to many tapas origin stories. The origin of tapas is a bit of a mystery, but the most commonly accepted theory is that Spanish bartenders at farmer’s bars would serve beer or sherry and “top” it with a small saucer to keep the flies and the dust out. You can find tapas bars everywhere including Asia where I’ve seen Thai and Vietnamese “tapas” or “Cajun” tapas in New Orleans.
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