History of Tapas
The word tapa comes from “tapar” meaning to cover.
One legend suggests that around the 20th century King Alfonso XIII of Spain frequented a bar whilst traveling through an arid windy part of southern Spain and to prevent sand blowing into the king’s drink, the bar owner covered the wine glass with a slice of cured ham. The king was delighted... tapas were born!
Another suggests that King Alfonso the 10th needed to take small bites of food with wine between meals due to an illness. Once recovered he decreed that no wine was to be served in Castile unless accompanied by something to eat.
Also during the Middle Ages, when northern Spanish laborers would drink heavily to warm themselves in winter and to offset the alcohol, bartenders would serve a bit of food with each drink a tradition that soon became popular.
