{"id":54336,"date":"2018-01-12T21:14:25","date_gmt":"2018-01-12T20:14:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gogoespana.com\/?p=54336"},"modified":"2024-01-04T02:36:31","modified_gmt":"2024-01-04T01:36:31","slug":"what-is-tapas-food","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gogoespana.com\/en\/blog\/what-is-tapas-food\/","title":{"rendered":"What is Tapas Food?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Lots of visitors come to Spain knowing there’s a lot of good food to be eaten here.<\/p>\n

But many may be wondering...what is tapas food<\/strong>?<\/p>\n

There are actually lots of misconceptions about tapas out there. We\u2019re going to help you learn all about the delicious world of tapas.<\/p>\n

This is one dining experience you certainly won\u2019t want to miss while you\u2019re in Spain!<\/p>\n

What is tapas food? An introduction<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Tapas actually refers to style of serving food, rather than specific dishes.<\/p>\n

However, this doesn\u2019t mean that there aren\u2019t classic dishes that you\u2019ll find in any decent tapas bar (we\u2019ll have more on that in a minute).<\/p>\n

First, a \u201ctapa\u201d is simply a small portion of food.<\/p>\n

Anything can be served tapas style! When you go for tapas, you\u2019ll end up ordering lots of small plates and sharing.<\/p>\n

This way, you can try a selection of different dishes all at once.<\/p>\n

The most common story behind the origin of tapas<\/strong> is that they started out as small slices of meat or bread served in bars that patrons could use to cover their drinks to keep flies out.<\/p>\n

\u201cTapar\u201d is the Spanish verb for \u201cto cover\u201d. Bit by bit, the small bar snack started becoming just as essential as the drinks.<\/p>\n

They also started becoming more elaborate.<\/p>\n

Today\u2019s tapas are much more sophisticated.<\/p>\n

You\u2019ll find tapas ranging from small dishes of olives to elaborate culinary creations.<\/p>\n

There are even tapas contests to create the very best ones!<\/p>\n

What is tapas food: What to order at a tapas bar<\/strong><\/h3>\n

OK, history lessons are well and good. Now you know how to answer the questions “What is tapas food?” from a historical perspective.<\/p>\n

But we bet you\u2019d rather find out what to eat at a tapas bar!<\/p>\n

Because tapas are a style of serving food<\/strong>, they can be anything.<\/p>\n

But there are certainly typical tapas that you\u2019ll find at most traditional tapas bars with Spanish food<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"what-is-tapas-food\"
What is tapas food? Classic tapas<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Patatas bravas<\/strong><\/h3>\n

These chunks of fried potato topped with a spicy tomato sauce are a definite crowd-pleaser.<\/p>\n

This means they make an ideal tapa to order while you\u2019re still looking at the rest of the menu picking what you want to eat.<\/p>\n

Boquerones<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Anchovies soaked in vinegar may not be everybody\u2019s favorite dish, but if you like fish, you\u2019ll want to try this tapa.<\/p>\n

Calamares a la romana or rabas<\/strong><\/h3>\n

These fried squid dishes are best enjoyed with a generous squeeze of fresh lemon.<\/p>\n

The south of Spain does especially good fried seafood, so don\u2019t forget to order a serving of either one of these.<\/p>\n

Chopitos are another similar dish, though as they are whole fried baby squid, they\u2019re not a good choice for less adventurous eaters.<\/p>\n

Tortilla de patatas<\/strong><\/h3>\n

This is nothing like the flat Mexican tortillas you may be familiar with.<\/p>\n

Instead, Spanish tortilla is more like a crustless quiche, with eggs and potatoes (and sometimes onions).<\/p>\n

Pincho moruno<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Literally \u201cMoorish spikes\u201d, these are skewers of roasted meat coated in a generous amount of spices.<\/p>\n

The most common meat is pork, but you can sometimes find chicken or beef versions.<\/p>\n

Jam\u00f3n serrano or jam\u00f3n ib\u00e9rico<\/strong><\/h3>\n

You\u2019ve got to try some of Spain\u2019s famous cured meats while you\u2019re in the country.<\/p>\n

The most popular is jam\u00f3n, which you can order in a tapa or in a sandwich.<\/p>\n

Try a tapa and see how you like it. For vegetarians, order a plate of cured Manchego cheese instead.<\/p>\n

Ensaladilla rusa<\/strong><\/h3>\n

\u201cRussian salad\u201d is a Spanish potato salad with tuna, mayonnaise, peas, carrots, and olives.<\/p>\n

Pimientos del padr\u00f3n<\/strong><\/h3>\n

These tiny green peppers come packed with punch.<\/p>\n

As the saying goes, \u201cSome are spicy, some aren\u2019t”. \u00a0So, don\u2019t look surprised if you suddenly bite into a spicy little pepper!<\/p>\n

Chorizo al vino<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Wine-soaked chorizo makes for a hearty tapa that\u2019s bursting with flavor. Make sure to order some slices of bread to soak up the delicious sauce.<\/p>\n

Croquetas<\/strong><\/h3>\n

It\u2019s hard to find somebody who doesn\u2019t enjoy croquettes.<\/p>\n

These small fried snacks come filled with meat, fish, or vegetables cooked in bechamel sauce.<\/p>\n

You may find yourself eating more than one.<\/p>\n

\"what-is-tapas-food\"<\/p>\n

Mmm…all this talk about tapas is making us hungry!<\/p>\n

So that means we\u2019re off to find the nearest tapas bar and order up some food.<\/p>\n

We hope you\u2019ve enjoyed learning all about the tasty world of tapas.<\/p>\n

Now, next time somebody asks you, \u201cWhat is tapas food <\/strong>like?\u201d, you\u2019ll be able to give them an expert answer!<\/p>\n

If you want to become a Master Chef and take some courses to learn how to cook the most delicious Spanish food and tapas check out our culinary school here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Lots of visitors come to Spain knowing there’s a lot of good food to be eaten here. But many may be wondering…what is tapas food? There are actually lots of misconceptions about tapas out there. We\u2019re going to help you learn all about the delicious world of tapas. This is one dining experience you certainly […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":124,"featured_media":54346,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2052],"tags":[1630,1637,1728],"class_list":["post-54336","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-spanish-food","tag-spanish-culture","tag-spanish-food","tag-tapas"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gogoespana.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/54336","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gogoespana.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gogoespana.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gogoespana.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/124"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gogoespana.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=54336"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/gogoespana.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/54336\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":56240,"href":"https:\/\/gogoespana.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/54336\/revisions\/56240"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gogoespana.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/54346"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gogoespana.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=54336"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gogoespana.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=54336"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gogoespana.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=54336"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}