Hi everyone! Today I want to dedicate my post on one of the major food tradition in Spain: TAPAS!
In fact, tapas originated in Spain, where according to legend (there are many), King Alfonso 10th, The Wise King of Spain, had once been stricken with a serious illness which only allowed him to take in small portions of food with small amounts of wine. After recovering from his illness, the king issued a decree that no wine should be served in bars unless it was served with food.
Tapas are small plates of food to be consumed with wine or other alcohol at a drinking establishment. There are no tapas restaurants, only tapas bars! Tapas can be any type of food, from nuts, olives, and assorted cheeses to roasted meats and stews. The most important thing about “tapeo” (the art of eating tapas) is the gathering of people to socialize as they drink and eat.
You will also find that tapas follow the gastronomic tastes and traditions of each region in Spain, but that types of olives, nuts, meats and cheeses are universal to all areas.
- Here it’s the top 5 traditional Spanish tapas:
Tortilla de patatas. Omelette with fried chunks of potatoes.
Gambas al ajillo. Sauteed prawns with garlic.
Pulpo a la gallega. Galician-style octopus served in olive oil, lots of paprika, and sea salt.
Croquetas. One of the most common tapas, you can try the croquetas de espinacas y queso made with spinach and cheese
Aceitunas. Campo Real olives (name of the olive of Madrid) or the big ones filled with anchovies.
In Madrid and some others places in Andalousia, when you order a drink, often a tapa will be served with it for free. In several cities, entire zones are dedicated to tapas bars, each one serving its own unique dish.
Cerveceria 100 montaditos bar
I have already test a lot of different tapas bars. It’s a good way to meet and speak with your friends at the end of the day and most of them are really cheap!
I can recommend you one very popular: Cervecería 100 Montaditos. It’s a bar chain which counts 350 restaurants in Spain. Its success it’s based on the friendly atmosphere and the menu. In fact, each tapas never costs more than 5 euros and every Wednesday and Sunday all the menu it’s at only 1 euro!
I hope that I did not give you too much hunger! 😉 Have a good week!
