Delicious Tapas Small Plates

And a Little Tapas History, too

First, how do you pronounce Tapas? When pronounced correctly, it sounds like [TAH-pahs]. If pronounced like a typical United States-er, like me, it might be heard as sounding like TAP-uhs... It's your choice!

Second, what is the definition of tapas Well, I browsed, and peeked and looked everywhere. This is the best tapas definition I could find.

Popular throughout Spain in bars and restaurants, tapas are appetizers that usually accompany SHERRY or other APÉRITIFS or COCKTAILS. They can also form an entire meal and can range from simple items such as olives or cubes of ham and cheese to more elaborate preparations like cold omelets, snails in a spicy sauce, stuffed peppers and miniature sandwiches.

Sounds absolutely like my kind of meal! I love anything "miniature". Including my food!

Want to vacation in an exciting city in Spain and experience the Tapas tradition first hand? Visit Valencia Tourist Travel Guide, a website all about Valencia, the jewel of the Mediterranean with miles of white sandy

beaches, lush orange groves, a modern city centre, fairytale medieval Old Quarter and one of the best places for night life in Europe! You won't be disappointed! Now on to more of the history of tapas... A Tapas recipe and the tapas small plates tradition come from Spain as the story goes. A tapas small plate is a snack - a spanish appetizer. It's as simple as that! These Spanish snacks are small plates with little

portions of olives, cheese, bread and lots of other unique and creative combinations of food and tapas ingredients.

In Spanish, the word Tapa means "cover". So how does this relate to "snacks" you ask? Well, there are several interesting explanations.

The most commonly cited narrative of the etymology of tapa or tapas is that it is an item, either a piece of bread or a flat card of some kind that would often be placed on top of a drink to protect it from those annoying, buzzy flies (smart!)

Somewhere in time, it became a custom to put on top of the "cover" small nibbles of delectable goodies (really smart!) Viola! Tapas small plates were created, if this explanation is to be believed.

Another theory is that the tapas "covered" the appetite between the time Spaniards finished work and when they would take their late evening meals. (Sheesh! I would be hungry too if I had to wait that late to eat!)

If you're interested, read more of the history of tapas small plates here.

Traditional Tapas Recipes
These recipes are considered traditional tapas recipes from Spain. As the culture of tapas small plates continues to evolve, you'll see variations on the theme. But these particular recipes come from the old country. Enjoy! (I do all the time!)

Bread and Marinated Olives
Smoked Ham and Bread
Figs and Ham
Manchego & Membrillo
Traditional Spanish ingredients found in Tapas
The Art of Tapeo