When we say “tapas” we say “Spain”. But what its meaning is and how it got to be the symbol of the Spanish cuisine, we are about to find out.
“Tapas” comes from the Spanish verb “tapar” (to cover) and it can be translated as “cover” or “lid”.
The story says it all started with the king Alfonso the 10th of Castile that managed to recover from an illness by having small bites of food with some wine between meals. Shortly after, he asked all the bartenders in the area to serve food with the drinks, in order to avoid diseases.
A more credible version would be the one saying that, at one point, the bartenders of the Andalusian taverns started covering the glasses of wine and cherry with slices of bread, to keep away the flies, in the torrid summer days.
After a while, they started adding olives, ham and cheese on top. All these, being salty, provoke and maintain a sensation of thirst. The more drinks sold, the bigger the profit.
Over time, these “tapas” evolved from snacks to the proper dishes that we know today.
Well… at least that is what we believe :).
Chris
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