Tapas

"Tapa" means lid

What are tapas?


Tapas are a variety of small delicious Spanish dishes often served as a snack with drinks. To "tapear" means to go from bar to bar for drinks and tapas and is essential part of the social culture of Spain. Because tapas are informal and the bars are often very busy, they are commonly eaten standing up at the bar or at small tables and the atmosphere is enjoyable and noisy. Most tapas bars also offer you an incredible view: lots of cured hams hanging from the rafters, ready to be eaten.
There are plenty of tapas bars in the city. Pay attention to those that are full of locals: they will probably have the best tapas.  

History of tapas. 

There are different theories about the origin of this dish. Legend has it that because of illness, the thirteenth century king Alfonso X had to eat small snacks with his wine between meals to maintain his strength. After a successful recovery he passed a law that wine or beer served in taverns had to be accompanied by food. 
Another theory says that bread with ham or olives were used to keep insects out of the drink (the meaning of "tapa" is lid). Farmers and manual workers used to eat small snacks so that they could work until the main meal of the day.