What the living fuck are Tapas?
 

As far as I know, Tapas are just Spanish appetizers that range so far as to be able to cover olives to fried squid. I only mention this is because a friend of mine suggested that we get Tapas. Needless to say, my response was "what the hell are you talking about, you charlatan."

Is this just some pointless cultural cuisine buzz word like it sounds? Am I just an idiot? Someone, please, if I went out to get Tapas... what the hell would I be served?



THANKS

Mixed Tapas platter or plate of just random food.

You decide.

i think it varies. they usually have eggs and veggies on them, though.

Yeah, I know it varies (see sentence 1). I guess my point is that if you don't specify the type, you're really not talking about anything.

lots of cultures have the same thing but the ingreds vary slightly, the greeks have mezze, the spaniards tapas, the italians antipasto

Just go for it. Make sure you have some patatas bravas.

I hear theyre just small snacks to eat over the day.

I'm not saying I would never have "Tapas." I'm just complaining about the name. Tapas isn't a dish, it is a type of dish. When someone says "I love Tapas" I'll just remember that they're pretty much saying "I like Spanish appetizers." And, therefore, they are an idiot.

lol thats a bit harsh, i like spanish appetizers

Tapas started off as just a snack to go with a drink in a Spanish bar - generally just a plate of olives or something like that. They would served on a small plate, which would be put on top of the glass in which the drink was served - "Tapas" literally means "cover", I think. Over time the small dishes served became more elaborate, until eventually we reached the point where we are today where there are restaurants just serving tapas. Basically it is small servings of food, and you order a selection of different dishes to share. It's a real money-spinner for restaurants, as the dishes are relatively expensive, and people will order (and spend) lots more than if they were presented with a normal meal menu.

Yeah, but doesn't everyone? Would it make more sense to say that you like a specific type of Spanish appetizer since there is so much?

I think that's what I'm getting at. Because it's Spanish and has an exotic Spanish name, people shell out the cash for appetizers that really don't have anything in common. They aren't made in a special, exotic way. They're just a bowl of olives, some bread things, whatever.

Now if they came free when I would buy a coke, that would be awesome. But instead it's "let's get expensive appetizers!... yay!"

I think someone should open a British tapas restaurant. It would serve a selection of British foods in small dishes. Eg, small bowl of sausage rolls, cheese and pineapple on a stick, bowl of cauliflower cheese, small plate of crisps and so on. It wouldn't be quite as colourful as your traditional Spanish tapas what with most things being a shade of beige but it would fly the flag for Britain!

Why the upset about the word tapas? Tapas is a generic term to describe spanish bar snacks. If you want to be really pedantic, they originated from Andalucia. Tapas is supposed to be one tiny dish or snack served with a drink whilst visiting bars and before a meal - to keep you going. It's not supposed to be served up as a platter or as a starter to a meal - although of course, that's what we have now with Tapas restaurants. And you're right, they are a rip-off because most tapas food is very cheap to produce yet the dishes tend to be costly. Perhaps we're paying for that latin charm and ambience.

I suppose the English equivalent would be to go on a pub crawl with your mates and have plain crisps in the first pub, salt and vinegar crips in the second, dry roated nuts in the third and, oooh, a pickled egg in the last, etc, before going for a curry. CURRY - now what's that word all about - it doesn't even exist in Indian parlance!

yes they are. blame gringo yuppies for this. the spanish are innocent in this matter. and yes tapas can vary from manchego cheese to olives to artichoke hearts to pig ears to any manner of delicious bar food, yes, not "potato skins" and crud of that sort, but people in spain do love their pig. oh they do.

but yes this stupid use of the spanish language... don't get me oh don't get me started ....

BLAME IT ON AMERICA.

sweet gawd I love me some tapas (with extra sangria please).

No. When I say I love tapas, it doesn't just mean I love Spanish appetizers, but I also love that style of eating, in which you sample small portions of many different things. Kind of like dim sum at a Chinese restaurant.

it's true that traditional bar fare in the u.s. consists of salt peanuts and corn chips and there is nothing that compares-- or izzit?

I don't know if our use of the word is true to the original Spanish meaning, but it is a very useful word. Most restaurants serve a meal in which you have an appetizer, entree and dessert. With tapas, most of the dishes are offered in small portions, allowing you to try many dishes. This significantly changes the experience.

I always think of it as 'chick food' - y'know, with the cute little plates.

tasty though and good for a date

that's not the point at all. it's bar food. BAR FOOD.

But that style of eating could be applied to foods outside of Spanish Tapas. Communal dining is simply that. I have no issue with communal dining. Hell, I do that every time my friends and I order chinese food. No need for a exotic term.

Seriously, is America so egocentric that we need to pay an extra ten bucks to share?

Next time, ask the waiter to sever the courses "family style."

It's amazing.

americans ruin everything they touch. except wine. apparently they did a good job in california. now please stop ruin foreign cultures-- you already did it to tacos. :D

Don't blame me. I live in San Francisco. The "art fag" city of USA.

OH NO YOU DI'INT!!

Now for the second part of my question; "the living fuck."

Sounds like a good band name to me.

What are you talking about? When you order family style, the servings are normal size, but shared among everyone at the table. That's not the case with tapas. With tapas, the smaller portions mean you can try a greater variety of dishes before you get full. In fact, tapas are not conducive to family dining at all, because the small portions make it harder to share among large groups.

tapas are not meant as a subsitute for a meal. they are food to eat while you're drinking. tapas aren't "courses".

oh god, but why must they soil it all?? :D

I've mentioned this before, but we've got a killer tapas bar here. Omaha does not have many places like this...

Espana

Wow, I've taken discussing Tapas farther than I ever cared/planned to. Ok, yay, you win. Tapas are great if you are a nitpicking commitaphobe with an overblown sense of cultural enlightenment and a fat wallet.

Actually, I think there were at least two other threads dedicated to tapas about a month ago.

This one is the best of them. *hasn't read them*

cacabrains dont be such a yuppie. you can make some at home when you're drinking with friends, instead of stuffing yourself with stinky doritos, and ordering poison pizza. just fry some calamari, pass it around. that's fucking tapas, for fucks sakes. if you don't like seafood you could get some virginia ham, for lack of jamon serrano in this country. the idea is that rather than stuffing your face with crap snacks, you snack on something tasty. THAT IS ALL.

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ps- sorry for calling you cacabrains. just plesae don't buy the american yuppie hype. tapas are served in the most miserable of spanish bars.

Yes, I am aware of what true tapas are. I'm solely referring to the Americanized crap, poopnose.

oh yes. thank you. ha ha. :D

^ I'm not one to toot my own horn, but that was totally rep-worthy.

only within a narrow context.

hey you want a recipe for spanish tortilla? cheap good stuff. eggs, potatos, and whatever you wanna add. lasts well in the fridge too.

this one shoudl work