Traditionally TAPAS were served with your drink, on a tiny plate as a lid, or cover, reputedly to keep the flies out of your drink, but also as a tasty morsel to keep you happy in the bar, and drinking more and more. Sort of like salty chips in the US, but way classier. The word TAPA means lid or cover.

There is an amazing variety of tapas and tapas bars abound throughout Spain, but are especially interesting in the old quarters of the ancient cities. Here a popular pastime is tapas bar-hopping – sampling different delicacies from competing bars, and spending lots of time socializing along the way.

Tapas can be anything from fried fish to meat stews or cold-cuts and cheeses, to fried veggies, mushrooms, and tortillas (in Spain a TORTILLA is an OMELETTE).

Tapas generally come in three sizes, and are not cheap – you can spend more on a meal this way than having a sit-down restaurant dinner. Montados are the original little tapa on a slice of bread; raciones are half-ration dishes; and a porción is a full portion.

Here are a few typical tapas combinations – Chickpeas and Spinach, Clams in Sherry Sauce, Octopus & Paprika, Meatballs in Almond Sauce, Fried Cheese, Quail and Onions, Dried Cod & potatoes or Sole with Raisins & Pine Nuts.