‘Tapa’ translates to ‘to cover’ and is used to describe a small portion of food. Tapas originated in Andalucia, Spain’s southernmost province, which is blessed with good weather and Moorish influence. Traditionally, tapas included complimentary pieces of cheese and sliced ham served on top of glasses of wine. Bartenders did this to prevent dust and flies from entering a customer’s glass.
A popular story says that the Spanish King Alfonso X The Wise fell ill and had to take small bites of food with wine between meals. This later came to be known as tapas. After he recovered, the king declared that no wine could be served at inns in the Kingdom of Castile, unless accompanied by a snack. The announcement was meant to manage the undesirable effects of alcohol taken on an empty stomach by people who couldn’t afford substantial meals. Another theory says that tapas first came into being because farmers and other workers needed to eat bits of food while they were working, which sustained them until it was time for lunch or dinner.
In the Middle Ages, wine became the preferred accompaniment to these snacks, as it lightened the mood and warmed the body in winter. In summer, people in the South had gazpacho to drink instead of wine.
Some places in Spain like Granada, Almería and Jaén serve tapas for free when patrons order drinks at a bar. The logic behind this is that salty snacks might encourage customers to drink more in order to quench the thirst caused by the food. However, this custom isn’t practiced across Spain and some places ask that tapas be ordered off a menu and paid for.
Today, dishes that form tapas can be simple like olives or salted padron peppers, or more complex like croquettes and sliced ham. There are regional differences in the types of tapas served across Spain. The Basque Country calls its tapas pintxos, which are served on a slice of bread and held together with a toothpick. Tapas restaurants have emerged across the world, encouraging diners to indulge in the age-old Spanish culinary tradition.