Tapas in Granada


¡Vamos de tapas.....!

what does this word say to you? a small plate of olives and peanuts served with your vino tinto?
...and more than that! A tapa is usually a little sample of a dish. It can take up many forms : a shrimp with a half boiled egg, ensaladilla rusa (russian salad) , mini burgers... They can be very simple or quite stylish.
and last but not least
tapas are usually free which is the beautiful point about it
the rule is : one tapa for one drink (preferably alcoholic)

according to a charming story, the word tapa comes from the verb tapar, which means to cover.
Once upon a time, Spanish king Alphonse XIII, on a visit to Cadiz, stopped at an inn near the beach and ordered a glass of wine. The king left his seat for a moment and a diligent waiter fearing that a sudden gust of wind would cause some sand falling into his majesty's glass, covered it with a small piece of jamon serrano (cured ham). When he returned to his seat, the king expressed his surprise, found the waiter's explanation very pleasant, drank his wine, ate the ham then ordered another glass of wine, adding con la misma tapa !(with the same tapa)



Rocio from restaurant El chambao de Vizco,
outside my village, serves quite elaborate tapas

these are red peppers filled with morcilla
(a traditional kind of sausage)

callos (tripe) with white beans and chili
I hesitated a little bit before tasting it
and I loved it...I never eat tripe but I found the
combination with chili absolutely delicious

habas con jamon (green broad beans with cured ham)


at restaurant La Esquina - Campo de Principe
in Granada


cute little pinchos of octopus and thin slices
of potato

at smart bar-restaurant MomentO2 in Granada


or traditional tostada de jamon y queso
(cured ham and cheese on grilled on a toast)
served with fresh tomato purée


Granadinos enjoying their tapas
even if the bar terrace is full


little pinchito of chicken with cabbage



a nice summer tapa
migas (similar to couscous grain) with orange salad


Wouldn't you say tapas are a nice tradition?




photos by your devoted blogging hostess

Comments

Pecos Blue said…
The food is just better over there. I do not know what it is ..maybe the cows are better. Nice post.
Lavinia said…
You know, Lala, I think I gained five pounds just by reading this post. Oh dear, I think if I visited Spain I would put on twenty pounds at least....how can anyone resist all this good food, and so beautifully presented. I think I want to try to make the first photo, egg and shrimp, I have never seen an egg pierced like that. How creative are the Spaniards!

Everything looks so tempting....
l'air du temps said…
bon jour Lala, oooo, your photos of tapas in granada are incredibly inviting. they all look so delicious. i especially liked the picture of the men standing and enjoying their drinks and tapas. why wait to enjoy, we have to enjoy the moment as it is.

the mix of good food and sunshine and nice wine and good company is such a wonderful combination that i think the spanish are particularly good at.

i hope your springtime is going well. sorry i did not have a chance to pop down to granada to see you while i was in spain. that would have been a wonderful chance...

but my time in madrid was a bit difficult and it was good for me to return as soon as possible. but at the same time i did try to enjoy the bright sunshine and liveliness of beautiful spain.

gracias por las photos y la historia de tapas. yo no sabia de donde el nombre 'tapa' viene. ahora yo lo se.

que tengas un buen dia!
besos guapa.
Tess Kincaid said…
My WT was in Spain last year and was absolutely crazy for your wonderful tapas. That is all he talked about for weeks! I will have to visit Spain one day...
paris parfait said…
Oh, oh, oh - I want to get on a plane! How I miss Andalucia! And I have missed you. Thanks for your lovely messages, particularly about Jordana. Must catch up with your posts. xoxox
Kristen said…
The tapas look delicious..and the atmosphere relaxing. hope you enjoyed it all with a friend!
Unknown said…
i am now starving!
Unknown said…
Any foodie post is a great post to me. Thanks to you, there goes my diet for today :D Please, I can eat tapas everyday. happy weekend
Vanessa said…
I'm Europe-bound at last! I hope there will be juicy tapas in my future!
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