Tapas in Spain can be practically any food in a small portion, and some tapas are a bit more well-known than others. The following article will bring you closer to them and answer all the questions you've ever had about tapas!

WHAT ARE TAPAS?

Tapas in Spain is simply a small portion of food. This definition is quite surprising to many, because people often associate the term "tapas" with some specific recipe. In terms of content, however, tapas can be absolutely anything. Nevertheless, this form of serving is often associated with a certain group of recipes that appear most often in Spanish bars.

"Una tapa", "dos tapas" 

The ideal raw ingredients for tapas are anchovies - cheap, universal and have a strong taste.

The meaning of the word tapas

The word tapa itself means a lid with which a container is covered with. It is said that tapas were originally created by serving drinks on plates with some small food items,. These plates were then used to cover glasses and jugs to prevent flies from flying into them.

 

There are hundreds of tapas dishes in Spain - here is a random selection of some of them

The difference between tapas and raciónes

On the Spanish menu, most dishes are traditionally divided into three sizes. Tapa, ½ portion (media ración) and full portion (ración). A tapa is a small dessert plate or a bowl, ½ portion is roughly one portion we are used to in the UK and a full portion is twice as much.

Of course, some dishes by their nature are not suitable for serving in a small portion ( e.g. a whole baked fish ), and therefore the option of tapas is missing for some dishes.

In some restaurants, in addition to the normal offer from the menu, there is also an unwritten selection of dishes displayed in the refrigerated display of a stainless steel counter, which is often exclusively reserved for tapas.

A typical tapas counter

Where to find authentic tapas recipes?

We are very excited to be sharing a selection of our recipes dedicated to TAPAS, which we constantly update. There you will not only find an ever-expanding range of tapas recipes, but you will also learn some interesting facts. Soon it will not be a problem for you to organize a real Spanish tapas evening for your friends.

 

Five Most Popular Tapas in Spain

• Olives ( aceitunas ) - almost always pitted, often served free of charge in a variety of marinades
• Jamón - depending on the region jamón serrano  or ibérico, often served with small breadsticks called picos
• Fried calamari  ( calamares fritos ) - either fried in a simple flour coating or in an egg and flour batter
• Pil-pil prawns ( gambas pil-pil )  - prawn confit in garlic olive oil
• Meatballs ( albóndigas )  - pan-fried meatballs in a thick, aromatic tomato sauce

 

Popular vegetarian tapas

The range of vegetarian tapas in Spain is almost unlimited, although the traditional selection rarely misses something with meat.

• Salmorejo  - cream of tomatoes, olive oil, garlic and white bread ( the vegetarian version is without jamon )
• Ajoblanco  - a refreshing cold soup made of almonds and garlic, similar in character to gazpacho
• Gazpacho  - an iconic cold soup made from fresh vegetables and olive oil
• Chickpeas with spinach ( garbanzos con espinacas )  - traditional Sevillian tapas with an exotic touch of Roman cumin 
• Padrón peppers ( pimientos de Padrón )  - small green peppers sharply and briefly roasted in a pan with coarse sea salt

• Spanish potato salad ( ensalada de patatas )  - traditional potato salad with olives, roasted peppers, olive oil and egg
• Roasted peppers ( pimientos asados )  - simple sweet roasted peppers 
• Baked potatoes with parsley ( papas asadas con ajo y perejil )  - crispy baked potato slices with olive oil, parsley and garlic
• Wrinkled potatoes ( papas arrugadas )  - traditional Canarian potatoes cooked in a saturated salt solution and served with mojo picón and mojo verde
• Mojo picón  and  mojo verde  - popular universal sauces for roasted vegetables, meat and fish

Popular fish and seafood tapas

Traditionally, fish and seafood tapas have always prevailed on the coast of Spain. However, the development was much more interesting than it might seem at first glance.

Mussels, for example, have been widely consumed in Spain only since the first half of the twentieth century. Lots of seafood were once considered inferior food of the poor. In contrast, fish has always been a recognized ingredient.

• Anchovies with lemon ( boquerónes al limón )  - marinated fillets of fresh anchovies in lemon juice, coated in flour and fried in olive oil
• Fried anchovies in a batter ( boquerónes rebozados ) - fried anchovies in a flour and egg batter
• Fried anchovies pickled in vinegar ( boquerónes en escabeche ) - fried anchovies pickled in acid varnish in the style of roasters
• Salted anchovies with parsley ( anchoas con perejil ) - salted anchovy fillets with parsley
• Sour anchovies ( anchoas al vinagre ) - pickled fillets marinated in vinegar with chopped garlic, parsley and olive oil

• Shrimps a la plancha ( gambas a la plancha )  - unpeeled shrimps dry-roasted on coarse salt
• Fried shrimps in batter ( gambas fritas )  - peeled shrimps in batter fried in olive oil
• Shrimps with sherry and jamón ( gambas con fino y jamón )  - steamed shrimps with dry fino wine and pieces of jamón
• Pil-pil prawns ( gambas pil-pil )  - prawn confit in garlic olive oil
• Paella with seafood ( paella de marisco )  - traditional rice cooked in a strong broth with seafood; it is often served as tapas, but it is not very suitable for a home tapas evening (it is enough for a separate course)

• Fried calamari ( calamares fritos )  - squid cut into rings wrapped in batter and fried in olive oil
• Calamares with baked potatoes ( calamares con papas asadas )  - pan-fried calamari with baked potatoes with garlic and parsley
• Mussels from Malaga ( almejas a la malagueña ) - mussels cooked in pepper and tomato sauce
• Mussels with jamón and sherry ( almejas con fino y jamón )  - mussels cooked in dry sherry sauce with pieces of jamón
• Mussels in a pan ( almejas salteadas )  - mussels with garlic, olive oil and parsley (or wine)

• Sardines stuffed with jamón and peppers ( sardinas con jamón y pimiento )  - sardines stuffed with roasted peppers and jamón coated in egg and flour and fried in olive oil
• Sardines on the fire ( espetos de sardinas ) - traditional way of cooking sardines impaled on cane needles directly on the fire 
• Cod fritters ( tortillitas de bacalao ) - patties made of dried cod, egg, flour and parsley popular during Lent
• Baked cod ( bacalao asado ) - baked salted cod  with roasted pepper sauce
• Portuguese-style cod ( bacalao a la portuguesa )  - cod baked together with chickpeas, onions, garlic and olive oil 

Popular tapas with meat

We have selected for you popular tapas with meat that you will often see in Spanish tapas bars.

• Meatballs ( albóndigas )  - fried "meatballs" in a thick aromatic tomato sauce
• Garlic chicken ( pollo al ajillo )  - chicken baked in olive oil with garlic and bay leaf
• Flamenquín ( meat roulade)  - fried roll made of pork, jamon and hard cheese
• Chivo al ajillo - a popular tapa from the Andalusian mountains similar to the preparation of garlic chicken
• Bechamel croquettes ( croquetas )  - bechamel croquettes often mixed with jamón or leftover roast meat

 

The price of tapas in Spain

All tapas is free ( Granada, Almería, Lugo )

At the most enjoyable end of the scale are free tapas. There are some regions of Spain that, for some unknown reason, have introduced free tapas with every drink. The center of this paradise is Granada, but it also thrives in Almeria and Galician Lugo.

With one caña ( a small beer - in Granada costs from 1.50 Euro to 2.50 Euro ) you will get a small plate with bechamel croquettes, fried anchovies, lamb skewers, albondigas in tomato or almond sauce, paella or one of dozens of other rice varieties, patatas bravas, fried eggplant with honey, dried cod croquettes, two large shrimps with olive oil, garlic and parsley, or some fried shark in sour batter, salted or sour anchovies, etc.

In some bars you can choose from the menu, in others you have to be satisfied with whatever is offered for free. The waiter usually makes sure that the tapas are not repeated.

In Granada you get salmorejo ( tomato cream with olive oil, egg and jamón) for free with beer

Some tapas for free

Outside of all the free tapas areas, you'll also often get a small tapa with your drink. Mostly these would be some fried chips, a mixture of spiced nuts or some olives.  

Olives are often served for free, but sometimes you have to pay an extra euro or two.

Paid tapas

In most tapas bars and restaurants, you pay for tapas. The tapas menu usually starts with olives, which are slightly above one euro. It continues through simple vegetable tapas around two euros to meat tapas for 2.50-3.00. Of course, in more luxurious establishments with creative cuisine, tapas cost much more, often 10-15 euros.

THE MAGIC OF TAPAS

"Ir de tapas" (let's go for tapas) in Spain evokes a day or evening full of fun and noisy conversation. Traditionally, tapas are in direct contrast to a candlelit dinner with expensive wine and romantic music.

At tapas bars, people often stand at the bar and consume the tapas all evening long. Tapas are popular during the day too. If you don't want to stuff yourself just with one big meal, start with one tapa and be adding more as you wish, tasting many different flavours.

Spaniards love to share their food. If you order a portion of food or tapas, your fellow diners will join in without asking, and the same is expected from you.

Tapas are a genius invention that allows you to taste many different dishes in one evening, which, according to the knowledge of how the brain works, brings you a lot more fun and joy than spending the whole evening with one big meal.