It’s just another one of those celebrations which has crept up quietly, almost unnoticed – it’s September 29th – World Tapas Day. As celebrations go this is certainly one with great potential, but I’m afraid that I am left wondering to myself, just how many people actually know about it? To be honest I have not noticed any publicity in our region, and only really know about it because I happen to be on the right mailing list. What a shame!

I mentioned tapas in our blog only the other day, when I declared it to be one of the most civilised parts of buying a drink here in Spain – nearly every glass that you buy will be accompanied by some small dish to ‘picar’ – maybe a few olives, perhaps a few potato chips, or maybe even something more elaborate served hot or cold – but always free. Apart from this there are many bars that offer an extensive tapas menu, and these can comprise almost anything, and often will vary from region to region. Perhaps the most common tapa of all would be a simple platter of jamon or local cheeses.

The actual origin of tapas is one of those tales that is open to conjecture, but the most popular version is that a ‘tapa’ was simply a hunk of bread placed over a glass to keep the flies out. The word tapa literally means ‘cover’ or ‘lid’, hence the term ‘tapas’ was born. Original tapas were traditionally the most simple items, that required the minimum of preparation. In the south of Spain for example, a fino sherry would possibly be served with a small dish of almonds, fried in olive oil, sprinkled with salt and served whilst still warm, or perhaps a manzanilla served with a few thin slices of Manchego cheese……. delicious! These days however, tapas can be much more elaborate (especially those selected from a menu, that are not given as a free accompaniment), and the only limit to what can be served is really down to the imagination of the chef.

It’s just another one of those celebrations which has crept up quietly, almost unnoticed – it’s September 29th – World Tapas Day. As celebrations go this is certainly one with great potential, but I’m afraid that I am left wondering to myself, just how many people actually know about it? To be honest I have not noticed any publicity in our region, and only really know about it because I happen to be on the right mailing list. What a shame!

I mentioned tapas in our blog only the other day, when I declared it to be one of the most civilised parts of buying a drink here in Spain – nearly every glass that you buy will be accompanied by some small dish to ‘picar’ – maybe a few olives, perhaps a few potato chips, or maybe even something more elaborate served hot or cold – but always free. Apart from this there are many bars that offer an extensive tapas menu, and these can comprise almost anything, and often will vary from region to region. Perhaps the most common tapa of all would be a simple platter of jamon or local cheeses.

The actual origin of tapas is one of those tales that is open to conjecture, but the most popular version is that a ‘tapa’ was simply a hunk of bread placed over a glass to keep the flies out. The word tapa literally means ‘cover’ or ‘lid’, hence the term ‘tapas’ was born. Original tapas were traditionally the most simple items, that required the minimum of preparation. In the south of Spain for example, a fino sherry would possibly be served with a small dish of almonds, fried in olive oil, sprinkled with salt and served whilst still warm, or perhaps a manzanilla served with a few thin slices of Manchego cheese……. delicious! These days however, tapas can be much more elaborate (especially those selected from a menu, that are not given as a free accompaniment), and the only limit to what can be served is really down to the imagination of the chef.