Tapas
Tapas are small Spanish dishes served with drinks, from olives and ham to garlic shrimp and potatoes. See how to plan a tapas spread at home.
Also called Tapa.
Tapas are small dishes eaten in Spain, usually with a drink at a bar. They range from simple bites, such as olives, almonds and slices of cured ham, to cooked dishes like garlic shrimp or fried potatoes with sauce. People often move from bar to bar, having one or two tapas at each. A group of tapas can also make up a whole meal.
How to use it
For a tapas spread at home, plan 3 to 4 dishes per person in total, with a mix of cold and hot.
- Start with things to buy and plate: olives, salted almonds, cured ham, chorizo, Manchego cheese.
- Add one or two dishes made ahead and served at room temperature, such as Spanish tortilla (potato omelet) or marinated peppers.
- Add one or two hot dishes cooked at the last minute, such as gambas al ajillo (shrimp in garlic oil, prawns in the UK) or patatas bravas (fried potatoes with a spicy tomato sauce and aioli).
- Serve with plenty of bread to soak up oil and sauce.
- Put everything in the middle and eat family style.
Smoked paprika, garlic, olive oil and sherry show up in many classic tapas.
Common mistakes
- Cooking everything at the last minute. You end up at the stove all evening. Make most of it ahead.
- Portions that are too large. Tapas are meant to be small and shared.
- All rich, fried dishes. Balance them with something fresh, like tomato salad or pickled vegetables.
In recipes
A recipe that calls a dish a tapa expects a small plate for sharing. In the Basque Country, the local version is pintxos: bites often held together on bread with a toothpick. A ración is a larger portion of the same food. The idea of many small shared dishes is close to mezze in the Eastern Mediterranean and antipasto in Italy.
Where it comes from
Tapa means "lid" or "cover" in Spanish. A popular story says bars once covered drinks with a slice of bread or ham to keep out flies. Nobody knows for sure if that is true.
Related terms
- MezzeMezze is a spread of small dishes from the Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East, such as hummus, salads and dips, shared at the table. See what to serve.
- AioliAioli is a thick garlic sauce from the Mediterranean, made by emulsifying garlic and olive oil, often with egg yolk. Here is how to make and use it.
- Smoked paprikaSmoked paprika is ground red pepper dried over oak fires, like Spanish pimentón de la Vera. It gives a smoky flavor to chorizo, paella and stews.
- AntipastoAntipasto is the Italian opening course of cured meats, cheese, pickled vegetables and bread. See what goes on the platter and how to build one.
- Family styleFamily style means serving food on large shared platters and bowls set in the middle of the table, so everyone passes them around and helps themselves.