Tapas or not tapas

Sangria - rarely drunk by the natives

Mention Spain and it won't be much longer before you'll also pop sun or sangria into the conversation or piece of writing, I've even done the same here myself. Sangria, a kind of red wine, chunks of fruit and dash of whatever hard stuff you fancy concoction, is as synonymous with Spain as Real Madrid or the Costa del Crime. Sun, sangria and sex is the oft quoted phrase which, in the opinion of many, typifies Spain perfectly. This may well be absolutely correct for say, Magalluf during August, but there's vastly more to Spain than getting sunstroke, drunk or incapable and your leg over a random stranger.

Something else the natives don't do

For visitors or permanent residents not forming part of the 18-30 set giving resorts up and down the Spanish coast a bad name, sun and sangria, (derived from the Spanish word for blood - sangre), are more often than not joined by a newcomer tapas. The noun tapas represents the huge variety of small snacks and appetizers, served hot or cold, to accompany a small beer or glass of wine that together can be taken at any time of the day. Quite often, the bars and cafeteria's with their fingers on the customer service pulse offer a small bowl of olives or mixed nuts free of charge when serving drinks. Items such as these typically feature somewhere near the bottom of the tapas food chain, which depending on how much you're willing to pay, can stretch to one or two quite exotic specimens.

Handy

For certain visitors to Spain whose sartorial elegance rarely stretches much beyond a jesus creepers and white socks combo, a plate of chips with ketchup and pint of Heineken is a perfectly adequate way in which to get fed and watered whilst enjoying a few rays. That was me too when I first arrivded here in 2006, minus the footwear of course. Back in the day I quickly figured out the words for chips, (patatas fritas), and beer, (cerveza), and was soon well away in my new home. A very small blunder soon changed that though and by accident opened up a world of interesting and alternative eating options. My mistake was to order "patatas bravas" and expect chips; shortly after I was served something much nicer, a large helping of irrugularly shaped, cooked spuds smothered in a hot and spicy tomato based sauce. I had just given away my tapas virginity.

Nice one Garçon

Stories abound concerning where and how tapas originated, just pick which one you like, many though can be taken with a pinch of salt, the likliest explanation is a variation on the following theme. In the "olden days" when folk went around dressed like Blackadder, Spanish King Alfonso the 10th was travelling on horseback through   the south of the country and stopped for a comfort break at an inn near Cádiz. Just as his wine was being served, the wind got up bringing with it grains of sand from nearby North Africa. Quick as a flash the alert waiter, probably fearing for his head, covered His Majesty's goblet with a small plate, on top of which he placed slices of ham. Thus, allegedly, was born a popular Spanish tradition which has survived to this day. Tapas incidentally, comes from the verb tapar meaning to cover.

History and language lessons over, I'll bash on. Not only has tapas survived it's also thrived and is a popular money spinner, especially for many, many small bars and cafeterias, some of whom offer a gottle o' gear and a tapa for as little as 1.50€. Splendid value if you're a tad peckish just before tea-time or on the way home from work.. An equally pleasant way to spend time and a few more euros is to forego the typical menu and share three or four different small plates from the list of tapas, in one or two of the larger establishments, these can run to two or three pages.

Come to Spain and miss out at your peril.