What are tapas, anyway?

When the taberna was first established, apparently in 1725, bartenders use to keep flies out of their patron's drinks by topping each glass with jamón serrano (cured ham), which the patron would eat. 'Tapa' means 'lid'. Thus began the tradition of giving one tapa with every drink bought, even after the flies were no longer a regular nuisance.

Tapas have evolved over centuries to showcase the best ingredients from all over Spain. Some tapas you can find in North America include Manchego cheese drizzled in honey and chorizo wrapped around Spanish olives - these are the result of creative culinary minds working to combine the best of tastes. In Spain, however, tapas vary according to availability. In Barcelona, you will find the best in seafood tapas - prawns in oil, squid in paella, octopus in spicy sauce, and fried cod. In Madrid, you will find much the same but a a focus on agrarian sources, including roasted lamb chunks and fried cheese. Want to join the young, hip, Madrileño crowd? Eat the potato omelette (tortilla de patata). Not only is it nutritious and delicious, but it seems to revive partied out foreigners from the worst hangovers.

I suggest trying the paella - a fishy, tomato-based stew containing fresh seafood brewed in broth and served over rice. It is satisfying and a famously Spanish food. The choices, however, are endless. Bowls of olives and almonds, fried fish (especially cod - bacalao frito), stewed meat, stuffed aubergines, chorizo sausage, sea bream, tripe stew, cocido (Madrileño stew), all kinds of prawns, stewed bull's tail, and almendritos (small sandwiches).

Remember: eating in Spain is all about timing. Eating a late breakfast will help you eat a late lunch (lunch is often not served until 1:30pm at the earliest, and even then, the pickpockets can spot a hungry foreigner from a mile away, just by seeing when you eat), which will prepare you for a late dinner, which will help you survive all those late nights!

Am I excited for tapas? Hells yes! And I hope, dear readers, so are you.