When people think of Spain, the sun, flamenco, sangría, siestas, and chorizo often come to mind. However, if there's one thing that truly embodies the essence of Spanish cuisine, I think it's tapas. Tapas have gained international recognition and they have even been declared part of the Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO. In today’s issue, we will explore the tapas culture in Spain, its regional variations, and the intriguing stories behind their origin.

Foreign tourists visiting Spain can’t believe their luck when they order something to drink and the waiter comes along with a tasty bite of “free” food alongside their cool Spanish glass of lager or whatever beverage they have ordered. 

“Here you are, Sir. Your beer.” 

“Excuse me, I didn’t order any food.” 

“No, sir. It’s a complementary appetiser that comes with your drink.”

“Ah. Wow, all that food? Thanks a lot!!”

In Britain, you don’t get any free food with your drinks and you either end up drinking loads and feeling tipsy, or you drink and get hungry and get the munchies so you end up having to buy a bag of crisps or peanuts in the pub or grab some takeaway on the way home if you start to feel peckish. I imagine, as a Spaniard living in the UK it must be pretty hard to get used to having a drink on an empty stomach. 

When in the UK, If you do decide you are in the mood for something “español” you will find some “Spanish” restaurants and “Spanish tapas” bars. I say “Spanish” tentatively as you will probably find they are a little “Spanglish” and not that authentic. Tapas in Britain, you will pay for them as if they were mini-portions of food. No freebies there. That even happens in some parts of Spain.

 The more I travel around Spain, the more I learn about the tapas culture. It’s certainly not a one-size-fits-all. I mean, in some parts of Spain, you automatically get some food with a drink, in some places you have to order and pay for it, in others you only get a tapa with alcoholic drinks, and in others, you can order the tapa from a menu at the same time you order your drink and it’s free (or rather included in the price of the beer).

Even Spaniards travelling from region to region seem to have some trouble working out what the tapas system is in each place. In Madrid, it’s normal to get a “pinchito” (small tapa) with your small beer (caña) but in Barcelona, you have to order it and pay for it. 

I love the fact that depending on where you are in Spain, the tapas offerings are so varied from region to region with tapas specialities in each region. You obviously also see the “classics”  such as olives and cheese almost everywhere. Tapas rivalry is also a thing! Many towns and cities actually claim to be the birthplace of the humble tapa while others compete to win the “Best Tapa in Spain” prize. 

What’s the story behind tapas? 

Let’s think about the word “tapa”- it translates into lid/ cover - the noun comes from the Spanish verb “tapar” meaning to cover. 

Can you guess why we might say tapas in this case? How did tapas become a thing? 

There are many popular legends regarding tapas. It’s difficult to know if they are true or not but I thought I would share some of them with you. 

One of the popular stories goes that in the 13th Century, Alfonso X (El Sabio) (Alfonso X/ The Wise) got really sick and was advised to drink wine in order to get better. Due to the large quantity of wine ingested, he ate small morsels of food in order to soak up the alcohol in his system and therefore, not get drunk. The story goes that when he recovered from his illness, he decided that it should be commonplace to serve small bits of food with alcohol in order to stop people from becoming publically drunk and disorderly.

Another legend says that Alfonso XIII was the first ever person to experience a tapa. He was travelling to Cádiz and stopped off at a tavern. The roads were dusty, very dusty. The barman served the king’s drink with a slice of ham on the top of the glass. The barman’s intention was to keep the dust out of the king’s drink. Alfonso XIII loved the idea, ate the ham and drank his wine and decided that tapas should become the norm. 

Other theories are that people who worked in the countryside worked really long hours and didn’t stop for meals. Because their job was so physical, they ate little and often so that they could keep on working. They would eat finger foods, foods that were easy to grab. They would eat olives, chickpeas, and easy-to-grab finger foods. 

There is also the story that the wine was so damn terrible in Medieval times that food was put on the top of the glass in order to suppress the bad smell of it and keep out those pesky little flies. 

Which story do you believe to be the most probable? Regardless of the origin of tapas, one thing is clear: they are a culinary treasure enjoyed across Spain and appreciated worldwide. The tapas culture adds an element of informal eating out socializing and exploring different foods and flavours.

Translation fails

A good translation, particularly of a menu, it can be make or break. One of my “hobbies” is reading translations wherever and whenever I can. One of the most entertaining experiences that I have ever experienced was a menu here, in Madrid. Their translation of their tapas menu was hilarious. Off the top of my head, I can only remember a few … here goes….

Some of them really don’t sound very appetising. 

Would you eat..? 

“Infernal sausages” - Chorizo al infierno - Hot and spicy chorizo sausages.

“Blood sausage” Uff! I‘d rather not think about - Morcilla - Black pudding (British English)

“Prawns in raincoats”- Prawns, In a Columbo style Mac! - Gambas a la gabardina - Battered prawns

“Brave potatoes” - I can’t help but envision potatoes holding swords and shields and getting ready for battle! - Patatas bravas - Fried potatoes with spicy tomato sauce / spicy paprika sauce (depending on where you are in Spain)

“Kitchen wings” - who knew that kitchens could fly and had wings?! alitas de pollo - chicken wings

If you ever need translation, get a native speaker to check it, just to make sure it sounds good!

As always, thanks for taking the time to read/listen to this week’s issue. I hope you found it fun, interesting and useful for your English. Please like and share if you did! Your support means EVERYTHING.

HAPPY ENGLISHING!

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