Trifter

First of all, what are they?   It is thought that originally in the wine-making regions of Andalusia a tapa ( the word “tapar” in Spanish means “to cover”) was placed over glasses of wine to stave off fruit flies.  Tit-bits of food were then placed on the dish to be eaten with the wine…..HA, how I so love the Spanish that it is unacceptable  that a fly taints one´s drink but it´s fine if it lands on the accompanying snack!   

Other stories suggest that tapas were invented by a bar owner in Seville who decided to put a cover (tapa) over his guests´ glasses of wine, using a slice of bread to keep out flies.  He later thought to put a piece of ham or cheese on top, so that his guests could have a bite to eat with their drink.  Either way, the idea spread so that nowadays the types of food served as tapas are limitless.  Most Spaniards don´t drink alcohol without a tapa and many bars provide them free of charge.

The Spanish equivalent of “fast food” is usually displayed in refrigerated glass units on the bar and served in small terracotta glazed dishes.  Some examples of the type of fare normally available include gambas (whole cooked prawns in their shells), boquerones (fresh anchovies in olive oil, vinegar and garlic),  chorizo (spicy Spanish sausage), albondigas (meatball…often in a creamy almond sauce), queso  (cheese…often manchego),  habas con jamon (broad beans with ham), ensalada rusa (Russian salad) or just a few olives. 

Your choice of tapas is usually accompanied by a small piece of crusty bread which helps to counteract the adverse effects of the alcohol through drinking on an empty stomach.

In many establishments, if you stand at the bar along with the locals you will be given one tapa free with each drink you buy. 

If you choose to sit away from the bar you can pay for a tapas or two (for one euro or less), or opt for a larger serving known as a ración (ration) or medio ración (half ration).  This is a great way to eat a variety of dishes, and a pretty sociable activity as groups generally tend to share their dishes. 

The food is generally very good, even in remote villages.