Tapas

Many people have embraced the Spanish tradition of eating tapas. A lot of us stood in a bar in Andalusia, eating the most delicious, colorful, and flavorful small dishes and drinking a cold draft beer or a glass of wine. Tapas are small servings, but they are also a culture and a lifestyle that is unmistakably Spanish. 

Tapas vary from region to region. In the Basque Country, tapas are known as pintxos and consist of finger food made of bread with something tasty on top, all held together with a toothpick. In other parts of Spain, bread with something on top (but without the toothpick) is called montaditos. 

But whether they are called tapas, pintxos, or montaditos, it is the informal way they are served and eaten that makes these small bites synonymous with a relaxed and positive atmosphere around eating and drinking. And the Spaniards have expanded the concept to be both a social event and a form of gastronomic art. 

This book contains 100 recipes for classic Spanish tapas dishes. In addition to these, there are a number of stories about tapas culture, wine, the world’s best ham, sherry, and much more. 

Per H. Jacobsen is an architect, publisher, and self-taught chef. He is the author of several cookbooks and a wine and food critic, with extensive experience and knowledge of Spain, Spanish culture, gastronomy, and wine. He writes about all this on www.vinoytapas.dk