Some authors assert that the tapa was born when, due to an illness, the Spanish king Alfonso the 10th, the Wise, had to take small bites of food with some wine between meals. Once recovered from the disease, the wise king decreed that no wine was to be served in any of the inns in the land of Castile , unless accompanied by something to eat. This was a wise precaution to counteract the adverse effects of alcohol on those people who, through lack of money to buy a nourishing meal, drank alcohol on an empty stomach. Barcelona is the city of tapas and every five meter you will run into a new one. Tapas is the perfect finger food for the one who has a hard time deciding what to eat, it is also great for the fact that you can just order more as you please and it will be ready within the minute. Fast, traditional and very tasty.
Barcelona Weekend Break Tapas and Tapas Bars in Barcelona
A brief history of Tapas For anyone unfamiliar with the Spanish tradition of eating tapas, it is a small serving of meat, fish or vegetables and its origin is said to date back to the sixteenth century and the reign of King Felipe III.
The word “tapa” means “lid” and tapas first came about as a way of curbing excessive drinking.
The idea was that when you purchased your drink, you also got a “tapa” (or lid) in the form of a plate placed on the top of it. This plate would contain a small snack which you would be obliged to eat prior to dinking your beverage, thereby punctuating the alcoholic consumption with digestible food in which the alcohol could be absorbed.
Today tapas is no longer a compulsory part of buying a drink, but it has become a major part of the Spanish eating and drinking culture and the word “tapas” is known the world over.
Tapas style service means that food is prepared to order and delivered to the table plates at a time. We do not intend on delivering all the food in traditional course style, or the entire table at once. This way you will be able to enjoy an authentic tapas evening that encourages sharing of plates, lots of gossip and sangria.
WHAT IS TAPAS? The word ‘tapas’ literally means ‘lid,’ and the origin of the tapas custom most probably lies in the placing of a small plate or lid over a glass of wine when served in the neighborhood bodegas.It is also said that a centuries-old decree insisted all bars and roadhouses serve food as an accompaniment to wine, in an attempt to ensure at least a modicum of sobriety among the nation’s coach drivers.
A tapa is a delicious morsel of food that defines a lifestyle as well as a culinary style. Tapas in Spain are almost always accompanied by wine, but they are as much about talking as they are about eating and drinking. The wine is, perhaps, the medium that holds the conversation, the friends, and the food together. The primary purpose of tapas is to talk to friends, to share the gossip of the day.
We hope you enjoy your evening and please come back to see us again soon.
