
Let me just start by saying I am a huge fan of Anthony Bourdain. I recently watched an episode of “Parts Unknown” that focused on Granada, Spain, which focused heavily, of course, on the tapas! I was more interested in staring at the screen to see what was on the little plates that were brought to Mr. Bourdain’s table, delighting in the diversity of the dishes, and daydreaming about taking my own trip to Spain one day than I was learning about the actual tradition, or rituals of tapas, which are small plates of food, and how they differ from region to region …and that they spark passionate debates amongst those who regularly partake in them.
Now that we are discussing Spanish culture in class, I’m thinking once again about these tiny feats of gastronomy. I love the beauty of them–just looking at them! But then, I love all food, so that’s nothing new with me. But this time I’ve done a little research and can actually say a little bit about what tapas are.
Naturally, each region of Spain has it’s own way of doing things. I learned that tapas are part of the every day culture all over Spain, but the ways in which the ritual is carried out are different, and the featured dishes are specific to each region. The main reason tapas culture exists in Spain is because people don’t particularly do much entertaining within their homes. Therefore, people typically will go to a bar for shots of wine, or small glasses of beer, and they will nibble on the tapas that are brought to them gratis (as long as one is drinking). Patrons will meet each other out much like they do here in the States for happy hour. Friends will meet each other, family, and co-workers. Strangers will greet one another and pick up on conversations, perhaps discuss sporting events. And then one will wander on to the next bar, repeating the pattern until one goes home for dinner. So in some regions the tapas ritual is carried out as a bar hopping experience, or, to put it more eloquently, the tapas are integrated into an evening stroll, which is followed by a fuller meal at home, and in other regions patrons will simply stay put in one bar and continue to drink and eat until they are full. With such diversity of flavorful dishes it is easy to see how one could debate which dishes are superior, but then, taste is subjective, isn’t it? I’m going to have to try it out, in person, for myself!