2-Minute History of Spanish Tapas

Why are the Spanish famous for “ir de tapas” (basic translation: “to go out for tapas”)?

There are a few widely known theories.

The first is that the tradition comes from the need to cover wine glasses to keep out flies, dust, and sand. The Spanish word “tapar” means “to cover,” thus the foods (and eventually the ceramic plates) used to cover glasses for this purpose became known as “tapas” (or “covers”).

The second is that in the 13th century, King Alfonso X decreed that small amounts of food should always be served with wine to prevent people from getting drunk (hence: no alcohol on an empty stomach).

Finally, in Spain’s southern region of Andalucía, it was common for people to sample food while sipping wine at the traditional taverns (known as “bodegas”). Patrons would usually do this either standing at the bar or standing over large wine barrels, which is still how many people enjoy tapas today.

Because of these conditions (holding a wine glass and not having much table space), tapas were (and still are) finger foods that you can eat in small bites.

Food critic Cristino Álvarez explains that going for tapas is not about finding one bar or restaurant and staying there. “Traditionally, one portion of tapas was eaten at each bar, and the bar was chosen for the quality of one kind of tapas or another. Sitting at a table to eat 4 portions of tapas in the same bar was more for the tourists, but the custom was adopted by many locals, who weren’t so fond of constantly being on the move.”

What it all comes down to is this: small plates of food served with some sort of alcoholic drink. The goal is to socialize while enjoying something to drink; not to get drunk or to fill up with a big meal.

We hope you’ll join us for a vegan tapas tour of Madrid, where we’ll order (plant-based versions of) traditional Spanish tapas at a few different restaurants. Don’t drink alcohol? No problem! We’ve got a special price for you that includes non-alcoholic drinks. You can schedule your vegan tapas tour now.