Tapas, the defining invention of spanish gastronomy
A tapa is truly an essential element of Spanish gastronomy. A tapa is defined as ‘any small portion of food that accompanies a drink’. Tapas bars can be found all around the world, and London is no exception. Experts do not agree on how the concept of tapa was created. Some people attribute its invention to the King Alfonso X, and some others to King Alfonso XIII.
Legend has it that Alfonso X, who was King of Castile and Leon in the 13th c. had weak health, and he ordered that all the inns throughout his land had to always serve wine with a bit of food, so that the wine would be easier to digest. Cervantes, the great novelist from the XVII c. talks about this custom.
However, there are those who think that the origin of tapas and the name must be attributed to Alfonso XIII. It seems that the King was visiting the province of Cadiz where he ordered a glass of sherry. It was very windy that day, often the case in this area, and to stop the beach sand from flying into the King’s glass, the waiter covered it with a slice of ham. The King thought this was a fantastic idea, and he ordered all the next rounds of sherries to come with a ‘tapa’, word which in Spanish means ‘lid’ or ‘cover’.
The concept quickly spread throughout the country, and as you know, going out for tapas and drinks is a very popular tradition in Spain, a fun way of tasting an array of different flavours, but not getting too full. The products from Mariscal & Sarroca are prefect to prepare the best quality tapas in no time.
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