But this much is beyond dispute: Tapas have a long history. One story is that the 13th-century Castilian king Alfonso X El Sabio the Learned was instructed by his doctor to eat several minimeals a day with wine; hence, tapas. However, the most commonly accepted theory is that tapas as we know them originated in Andalusia in the 19th century as small saucers set over wineglasses in taverns to keep the aroma in and the flies out. Eventually, lore has it, some savvy soul hit upon the idea that complimentary morsels of food placed upon the saucers would increase bar sales.
After Bigote, we make our way to Casa Balbino, a tapeo must in Sanlucar. Pablo, Nastassia, and I take a seat at an outdoor table and order several of the wonderful especialidades de la casa : tortillas de camarones, lacy crisps of tiny shrimp in batter that are ubiquitous in Andalusia; arroz marinero, rice and seafood stew; and salmorejo, a gazpacho-like cold soup garnished with diced ham and egg. Seduced by the cozy atmosphere, we settle in at the bar next to Manuel Rodriguez Valencia, a tooth-scarce Barbiana habitue who is fixated on his plate of potatoes.
Conversation turns to what else? Andalusian tapas tend to be straight seafood, very fresh, and cooked quickly in very hot oil. In the morning, after coffee alfresco in front of a lovely baroque cathedral, we drive 14 miles south to El Puerto de Santa Maria, onetime home of Christopher Columbus. Our first stop, Romerijo, on the Ribera del Rio riverside promenade, is a no-frills seafood market and sidewalk restaurant with an impressive display of crabs, prawns, sea snails, and mussels, all priced by the gram and prepared the classic Andalusian way: deep-fried.
We eat beautiful tiger prawns the size of hot dogs and are still talking about them when we get to Casa Flores just upstream. Cruise-line decor aside, this is a pleasant spot to indulge in the renowned Jabugo ham, which comes from free-range, acorn-fed Iberian pigs.
Tucked away on the minuscule calle Pescaderia Vieja off Plaza Arenal, Juanito offers over sixty-five dishes daily, many of which are displayed on the bar. Arriving just before sunset in Cadiz—a 3,year-old city built on a peninsula attached to the mainland by a whisper of land—Pablo, Nastassia, and I prepare for our next tapas encounter with a long walk past giant rubber trees and the lighthouse, and out on the breakwater to San Sebastian Fortress.
We settle on puntillitas, and within minutes the dapper barman serves us a plate of piping hot, tiny squid cooked in olive oil, with garlic, parsley, and plenty of salt. We quickly devour the juicy morsels, interrupting our conversation only to discuss our next order: albondigas de chocos, fried balls of tender squid in a light saffron sauce.
While many tapas bars, including El Faro, are attached to full-scale restaurants, Casa Manteca, just a few steps down the street, is a rough and rustic tasca —a simple tavern—little changed since At Casa Manteca, the tapa of choice is chacina variada, different cuts of cured ham and sausages served on small sheets of waxed paper. Standing at the bar enjoying this treat is a familiar face: Carmen Rivera, sister of the famous matador Paquirri, who was killed in the bullring almost two decades ago.
Amazed by his recovery, King Alfonso made a mandate that taverns would not be allowed to serve wine unless it was paired with a small snack, now commonly known as the tapa. Another famous tale says that King Alfonso stopped to rest in the province of Cadiz at an inn where he ordered a glass of sherry. The wind was blowing up a gale that day, so the innkeeper covered his glass of sherry with a slice of ham to keep the dust and dirt out of the glass.
King Alfonso liked the sherry and ordered a second glass with another slice of ham covering it. After about years of Spaniards sitting down together in taverns with wine and small portions of food, tapas have become a major part of the Spanish culture.
Tapas are small portions of food eaten between or before meals with a drink, which is more often than not, alcoholic. Traditionally, they were free with a drink. Wondering where the name comes from?
As is always the way, there are all kind of stories about where tapas originated from. Apparently, Alfonso XIII was offered his wine with a slice of ham to protect it from the sand from the beach at a tavern in Cadiz. Lastly, some people also say that a law passed by Felipe III contributed to the Spanish tapas culture developing. But there are also some less anecdotal and more practical explanations as to why the practice gradually became widespread, and where the name came from.
A trip focused on sampling the best Spanish tapas is one of the best culinary adventures out there. Only in certain parts of these areas are the tapas free. In somewhere like Madrid, there are bars that serve free tapas. Ask the locals! Traditional Spanish tapas are often meat, fish or seafood-based, but there are also usually some accidentally-vegetarian traditional options.
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