TAPAS TRIVIAThe word TAPA is derived the verb tapar, "to cover", Spanish origin.
According to The Joy of Cooking, the original tapas were the slices of bread or meat which sherry drinkers in Andalusian taverns used to cover their glasses between sips. Evidently they did this to prevent fruit flies from hovering over their sherry. Bar owners started to take advantage of this by serving salty meats to encourage more drinking!
Another version has the tradition of tapas beginning when Castile's King (Alfonso X of Castile or Alfonso the Wise) recovered from an illness by drinking wine mixed with small dishes between meals. After regaining his health, the king ordered that taverns were not allowed to serve wine to customers unless the beverage was accompanied by a small snack or tapas. Wonder if this is where Happy Hour began???
In León, a city in northwest Spain, an entire zone known as the Barrio Humedo is dedicated to tapas bars each serving their own unique dish!
Do you have any facts or interesting tidbits about Tapas? Have a favorite recipe you'd like to share? Post it in the comments below - The Diva of Tiny Foods is all about sharing our favorite recipes and foodie fun!
Follow me on Twitter as PopArtDiva
Friend me on Facebook
Pinterest Me!
Fabulous! I love Tappas!!!! :-)
ReplyDeleteSpotted - Me too - can ya tell, lol? Thanks for stopping by!
ReplyDeleteTapas consumption has become so popular today that now the Spanish Royal Academy minted a new word in its dictionary- tapear= eating tapas.
ReplyDelete