First, we need to understand the origin and character of traditional tapas and their role in Spanish culture and ultimately, world cooking practices. Tapas are a wide variety of appetizers, or snacks, in Spain. They may be cold (such as mixed olives and cheese) or warm (such as chopitos, which are battered, fried baby squid). In select bars in Spain, as well as some parts of North America and the United Kingdom, tapas have evolved into an entire, and sometimes sophisticated, cuisine. In Spain, patrons of tapas bars can order many combinations and create a full meal. The serving of tapas is designed to encourage conversation because people are not so focused upon eating an entire meal that is set before them. In some bars, diners stand and move about while eating, sharing tapas, and talk. In the Catalan region, look for word “tapes.”

According to legend, the tapas tradition began when king Alfonso X of Castile recovered from an illness by drinking wine with small dishes between meals. After regaining his health, the king ordered that taverns would not be allowed to serve wine to customers unless it was accompanied by a small snack or “tapa.”

According to The Joy of Cooking, the original tapas were the slices of bread or meat which sherry drinkers in Andalusian taverns used to cover their glasses between sips. This was a practical measure meant to prevent fruit flies from hovering over the sweet sherry. The meat used to cover the sherry was normally ham or chorizo, which are both very salty and activate thirst. Because of this, bartenders and restaurant owners began creating a variety of snacks to serve with sherry, thus increasing their alcohol sales.The tapas eventually became as important as the sherry. In Catlalan, a light but high-in-hops beer along with sangria and wine are served with tapas. Sangria was invented in this region; a traditional recipe can be found at the end of this blog.

Simplest tapas: sauteed garlic, stewed fresh tomatoes, bit of seat salt is reduced to a paste. Smear on toasted baguette and top with basil leaf. Sprinkles of cheese, white asparagus, Iberian ham or fish is often stacked on top. The anchovies and sardines are nothing like the salty canned varieties we see in the U.S. These have the texture of firm fresh-cooked fish and very little odor. The olives are equally amazing, some marinated in vinegar; others in a sweet olive oil. But, the design of many of the tapas in this area are executed with the aesthetics, care and craft of art.

Our tapas tour leads us through the Gothic quarter where our guide regales us with stories about lives of famous Barcelona artists, architects, and details about how the Spanish Civil War changed Barcelona. The street scenes, architecture, and Art Nouveau lighting, pictured below, (the first commission Barcelona gave Gaudi) are from our gastronomic tour. We also see Gaudi’s famous Casa Batllo and a yellow and red Catalan flag hanging from a Gothic window along the crawl through the narrow medieval streets.

Our beginning point, The Mercat de Sant Josep de la Boqueria, (scenes also pictured), simply referred to as La Boqueria, is a large public market in the Ciutat Vella district and one of the city’s foremost tourist landmarks. It was originally set up in the 1200s with tables to sell meat…later it became a place for fresh fish purveyors. The current cast iron canopy was constructed in the 1800s and, eventually, fresh fruit and vegetables were added to the stalls. Enter it from the from the La Rambla promenade, not far from the Liceu, Barcelona’s opera house. The market currently has cocktail bars, food counters and and astonishing array of fresh and specialty food items, including indigo blue Emu eggs. We buy a treasured bottle of saffron and begin our tapas crawl. We vow to use this flowery spice in our own paella when we return home. At one of the tapas bar, we find an exquisite Tempranillo, which we can highly recommend. The label is pictured below. Let us know, if you find it in U.S. It adds another dimension to delicately seasoned food of the area. (Photography credit: Stephanie Chambers)

Traditional Sangria Recipe as told to us by our Catalan Tapas Tour Guide, Irene: 1 bottle of any red wine; a sliced orange, lemon, and peach; marinate with sugar to taste and one stick of cinnamon in a ceramic pitcher covered with plastic wrap for 3 days (unrefrigerated). To serve, remove old fruit and add same amount of fresh fruit. May add brandy or Grand Marnier to taste. Catalans do not add a sparkling beverage as the unrefrigerated marination creates its own fermentation, but you may prefer it with an American “con gas” flavor by adding sparkling water or clear soda when serving…over ice.