Ingredients for
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All about Spanish Tapas.
The flavour-filled 'little dishes' of Spain.
From tapas origins and history to recipes, ingredients and methods. What to buy, where to buy it and how to prepare it.
Spanish tapas is at the very heart of their lifestyle and culture. Everywhere you go in Spain you will find lively and noisy bars serving small plates of superb flavours and local delicacies.
In its most basic form tapas is simply a small snack or appetiser taken with a drink or two at lunchtime or in the early evening before the main meal.
It is essentially a style of eating rather than a form of cooking.
Tapas means sociability, friends and family. The Spanish in general won't drink without eating something as well.
This prompted canny bar owners into providing a morsel or two of food to encourage his customers into his bar. Originally these small snacks were given free to anyone who bought a drink in the bar but now you will nearly always have to pay for them.
Spain's little secret is out!
Now, throughout the world, Spanish tapas has become a popular and healthy addition to the many food styles and cuisines available to us today. Everyone is joining in and realising how pleasurable eating in this way can be.
And why not? When you begin to see the sheer range of flavours available you will, I'm sure, want to find out more about 'the small plate with the BIG flavour'.
Wherever you live, Spanish tapas will give you a tasty little mouthful of the real Spain without having to jump on an aeroplane to enjoy it! You can bring a little Spanish sunshine right into your own home - right now!
Just click on the links below, or on the nav bar on the left, to start discovering the world of Proper Spanish Tapas.
Introduction to Spanish Tapas
What's it all about?
Tapas recipes and methods
What to buy, where to buy it, and how to prepare it.
Ingredients
Basics for your store-cupboard.
Tapas books
Our recommended reading for your bookshelf
Olives
The oldest and original tapa.
Olive oil
The heart of Spanish cooking.
Serrano ham (Jamón)
Heaven on a small plate.
Chorizo
Sausage sensations.
Manchego
Sheep's milk cheese from La Mancha
Paella
Spanish tradition in a large pan.
Sherry
Spanish tradition in a glass.
Spanish wine
Forget your sangria, this is the real thing.
Speak Spanish
Ordering your tapas in Spanish.
Steve's blog
Steve blogs about the things that affect the way we live. How to enjoy a good lifestyle by working for yourself, taking control of your health and cooking and enjoying good food.
Articles
Published articles on Spanish food and lifestyle.
About us
A short page about how we came to be here
You can do it too
How this website was born.
Resources
More info and links to do with tapas, Spain, Spanish food and cooking in general.
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