tapas y mas: the multimedia edition

The History: “Tapas” refers to a typical type of cuisine that is served throughout Spain but varies by type depending on the region.  Historically, there are many theories on how the tapas tradition came to be, one of which is that the tradition began when Castile’s King, Alfonso X, came down with a severe illness and could not stomach large feasts.  In order to recover his strength by drinking wine mixed with small plates of food between meals.  After his recovery, King Alfonso X, required that taverns only serve alcohol to customers if it was accompanied by food so that patrons would not get sick from drinking alcohol on an empty stomach. These “mini meals” became known as tapas.  

Another theory is that tapas began as slices of bread, often accompanied by meat and cheese, which people used in bars as lid covers for their drinks in order to prevent fruit flies and other bugs from entering their drinks.  Other people thought that these “food lids” were placed over drinks to mask the smell of soured wine so it could still be sold to patrons.  Additionally, the origin of the word ‘tapa’ literally means ‘lid’ or ‘cover’.  

Additionally, it is important to note that tapas are a part of Spain’s social culture.  A common practice among friends is getting together to chat and socialize while eating tapas and having a drink of sangria or cava.  In Spain, “bar hopping” is when groups of friends visit many tapas bars in one night, socializing at each one while snacking on the mini portions of food and having a drink.  The tapas bars get very crowded and, groups of people can opt to either wait and sit at a table, sit at the bar and eat their tapas, or stand and mingle while eating and drinking.  In a typical tapas bar or restaurant, it is very common to have 8 to 12 different types of tapas prepared in glass partitions that surround the bar.  

The types of tapas served and the manner of preparation varies amongst the different regions of Spain.  In certain zones of Northern Spain including Navarre, the Basque Country, Cantabria and in some provinces like Salamanca, the tapas are called “pinxos” because the food is held together by a toothpick through the center of it.  Not only does the toothpick keep the snack from falling apart, but it also enables the restaurant to keep track of the number of tapas people have consumed by counting their toothpicks.  Often, different pinxos have different shaped or sized toothpicks to indicate their price.  

In Andalusia, tapas can be larger portion sizes and these larger tapas are usually shared by groups of people.  For example, a plate of calamari or patatas bravas can be passed amongst people for sharing.  Typical flavors that enhance tapas include garlic, chilies or paprika, cumin, salt, pepper, saffron and always, plenty of olive oil.  Seafood, or mariscos, most often used in tapas includes anchovies, sardines, mackerel, squid, shrimp, cod and many other varieties of seafood in either olive oil or a tomato based sauce, sometimes with peppers and other seasonings.  Tapas also commonly include varietions of jamon, olives and a slice of bread.

Traditional Tapas Dishes:

• Bacalao: a salted cod loin that is served very thin and is most often served with bread and tomatoes
• Boquerones: white anchovies served in vinegar
• Calamari: rings or pieces of battered squid, often served with lemon juice and dipping sauce
• Cojonuda: a kind of pinxo that includes bread topped with Spanish chorizo and a fried quail egg
• Chorizo: slowly cooked sausage in either a wine or a cider sauce
• Croqueta: a mixture of either serrano ham, chicken or fish, coated in bread crumbs and deep fried
• Russian Salad: boiled vegetables mixed with tuna, mayonnaise, and olives
• Gambas: prawns served several different ways, but usually grilled with garlic or chopped chili peppers
• Pimientos de Padron: small green peppers which are generally mild and fried in olive oil.  They originate in a region in Galicia.  
• Pulpo: any dish consisting of octopus.  The octopus is usually chopped into small chunks and cooked in oil and salt.  Pulpo also originiated in Galicia due to the region’s proximity to the Atlantic Ocean, and thus access to fresh seafood.  
• Patatas bravas: fried chunks of potato that are topped with a salsa brava (spicy tomato sauce) and a garlic alioli sauce
• Tortilla Espanola: a type of Spanish omelet consisting of fried potato chunks and often onion. 

Popular Tapas Restaurants in Barcelona: 

• Cerveseria Catalana: C/ Mallorca 236
• Bar Mut: C/ Pau Claris, 192
• Inopia:  C/ Tamarit, 104
• TapasC24: C/ Diputacio 269
• La Vinya del Senyor: C/ Placa de Santa Maria, 5
• La Taverna del Clinic: C/ Rosello, 155
• Cal Pep: C/ Placa de les olles, 8
• Ciudad Condal: C/ Rambla de Catalunya, 18
• Bodega Manolo: C/ Torrent de les Flors, 101
• Taller de Tapas: C/ Rambla Catalunya, 49-51
• Tapa Tapa: C/ Passeig de Gracia, 44
• Piscolabis: C/ Rambla de Catalunya, 27
• Txapela: C/ Passeig de Gracia, 8-10
• Sagardi: C/ Argenteria, 62
• My personal favorite is Cerveseria Catalana on Calle Mallorca

Interactive Tapas:

The above video is of a worker from La Txapela discussing his personal favorite tapas as well as other popular tapas that the restaurant offers.  

Although it is hard to see all the varieties of tapas that are on display behind the glass partitions at the bar, this videos shows the crowded atmosphere of the tapas bar.  All of the tapas bars I have visited in Barcelona are crowded from the beginning of the lunch time rush through the late night hours.  Often the bars are so crowded that people have to wait for over an hour to be seated, and any bar seat is a hot commodity.  

Personal Experience with Tapas Cooking:

During my time in Barcelona, I have had the opportunity through CEA to take a tapas cooking workshop at the cooking academy, Terra d’Escudella.  The class began with a brief introduction on the history of tapas in Spain, as I discussed above.  We then had the chance to cook a variety of tapas including patatas bravas, green peppers a la plancha with chorizo, bread with tomato and olive oil, mushrooms with chopped garlic and tortilla espanola.  The actual cooking of the tapas was suprisingly quite simple; the hardest part was the prep work which required a lot of cutting, peeling and chop, which was very time consuming.  Even though the tapas were simple to make, many of them required equipment that I do not have in my kitchen, such as a deep fryer and a flat grill, thus making it hard to recreate the tapas at home.  However, it was an overall fun experience attending a Spanish cooking class; the history was interesting, the cooking was fun, and the tapas were delicious.  I recommend that everyone attend a tapas cooking workshop at some point during their travels to Spain.  Below are some pictures from the workshop:

the pupils listening closely as our cooking instructor explained how to begin our prep

Here is a sample recipe for Tortilla Espanola:

Ingredients: 6-7 medium potatoes, peeled, 1 whole yellow onion, 5-6 large eggs, 2-3 cups of olive oil for pan frying, salt to taste

Preparation: This “tortilla espanola” or “tortilla de patata” makes 8-10 servings as an appetizer. It serves 5-6 as a main course.

Cut the peeled potatoes in half lengthwise. Then, with the flat side on the cutting surface, slice the potato in pieces approximately 1/8″ thick. Make sure to separate the pieces that stick together. It is not necessary to slice the potatoes paper thin and it is best not to use a food processor because most will slice the potatoes too thin. If you slice them a bit thick, don’t worry – it will simply take a bit longer for them to cook.

Peel and chop the onion into 1/4″ pieces. Put potatoes and onions into a bowl and mix them together. Salt the mixture.

In a large, heavy, non-stick frying pan, heat the olive oil on medium high heat. Drop a single piece of potato into the oil to ensure it is hot enough to fry. Carefully place the potato and onion mixture into the frying pan, spreading them evenly over the surface. The oil should almost cover the potatoes. You may need to turn down the heat slightly, so the potatoes do not burn.

Leave in pan until the potatoes are cooked. If you can poke a piece of potato with a spatula and it easily breaks in two, your potatoes are done. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon or spatula. Some cooks like to place the potato and onion mixture in a colander for a few minutes to allow more oil to drain. If you do this, place a plate underneath to catch the olive oil and you can use it again.

While the mixture is draining, crack the eggs into a large mixing bowl and beat by hand with a whisk or fork. Pour in the potato onion mixture. Mix together with a large spoon.

Pour 1-2 Tbsp of olive oil into a small, non-stick frying pan (aprox. 9-10”) and heat on medium heat. Be careful not to get the pan too hot because the oil will burn – or the tortilla will! When hot, stir the potato onion mixture once more and “pour” into the pan and spread out evenly. Allow the egg to cook around the edges. Then you can carefully lift up one side of the omelet to check if the egg has slightly “browned.” The inside of the mixture should not be completely cooked and the egg will still be runny.

When the mixture has browned on the bottom, you are ready to turn it over to cook the other side. Carefully take the frying pan to a sink. Place a large dinner plate (12”) upside down over the frying pan. With one hand on the frying pan handle and the other on top of the plate to hold it steady, quickly turn the frying pan over and the omelet will “fall” onto the plate. Place the frying pan back on the range and put just enough oil to cover the bottom and sides of the pan – approximately 1.5 tsp. Let the pan warm for 30 seconds or so. Now slide the omelet (which is probably still a bit runny), into the frying pan, using a spatula to catch any egg mixture that runs out. Use the spatula to shape the sides of the omelet. Let the omelet cook for 3-4 minutes. Turn the heat off and let the tortilla sit in the pan for 2 minutes.

Carefully slide the omelet onto a plate! To serve as a main course, slice it into 6-8 pieces like a pie. Serve sliced French bread on the side.

If you are serving as an appetizer, slice a baguette into pieces about ½ inch think. Cut the tortilla into 1.5” squares and place a piece on top of each slice of bread.

It is simply delicious served with sofrito, fried tomato sauce that is made all over Spain. Tomatoes, onions, garlic, green peppers and olive oil sautéed in a frying pan.

Enjoy