To sum it up, in Spain, tapas are always free.
Mas for favor free#
Sometimes you can even get a free meal out of it, just by drinking! Their quality and abundance will greatly vary depending on the place, but really good bars usually improve these both factors accordingly the more drinks you buy. Here’s how it typically works: the more drinks you order, the more tapas you get. In most cases, they are also represent a unique trademark for the bar or restaurant you’re patronizing, something that distinguishes a really good place from one that’s just meh. Tapas are a cultural sample, a small something to entice your thirst and to thank you for your patronage. Anyway, the important concept here is that, in Spain, they don’t cost a thing. You can also get them in some restaurants, too, but it’s not a given. This is truly ironic, since tapas traditionally are free! Typically, tapas don’t constitute a meal, but are meant as a courtesy offered in most bars and pubs in Spain.
In the U.S., we typically view tapas as small-portioned but overpriced Spanish food. No wonder he was known as The Wise! Free Food? Sí, siempre. It’s tradition.Īn alternate version of the story states that it was actually an antecessor, Alfonso X of Castile, who created this concept at some point in the 13th century after determining that food helps alleviate the intoxicating effects of alcohol. The king was so pleased and entertained by the ingenious idea that he ordered another drink, this time with a “tapa” of ham on it! That’s why Spanish ham is usually the most common tapa you will get. Thinking fast, the creative owner of the venue acted quickly and covered the glass with a piece of ham. To this day, it’s unclear if it was a few grains of sand flying through the wind - it’s a beach destination, after all - or an inconvenient fly, but something was about to get inside the glass, ruining some perfectly good wine.
Legend has it that King Alfonso XIII of Spain was visiting a humble tavern in Cádiz, where he ordered a glass of Jerez (sherry). ¡Buen provecho! History Lesson: Cover That Glass!įirst things first: tapa means, literally, “lid.” Odd, right? So, what does a small piece of food have to do with something you use to cover things? The story behind this piece of Spanish trivia is quite interesting. In celebration of World Tapas Day - third Thursday of June - here’s a guide to help you put a lid (don’t worry, you’ll get this pun in a moment) on common misconceptions surrounding this iconic appetizer so you know what to expect if you decide to plan a tapas tour of Spain. it’s common to use the word “tapas” as a generic synonym of “food from Spain.” But tapas are much more than that, not only in their specific ingredients, but, most importantly, in the overall approach and idiosyncrasies of their consumption. That’s right, the original tapas that people still enjoy daily in Spain are completely different from the luscious but sadly inauthentic morsels we consume on this side of the Atlantic. and the real thing are purely coincidental. However, it’s time to acknowledge a harsh truth that might surprise you: any similarities between the tapas we eat in the U.S. Eating tapas on a sunny weekend day has become a tried-and-tested way to delve into the richness and diversity of Spanish delicacies, especially for urbanite foodies eager to widen their gastronomic horizons.
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