Croquetas. Ham,  shrimp and spinach cream, breaded.  Spanish classic Tapas.

Tapas. Appetizers, snacks, light meal (if you combine 2 or 3 of them.) Cold, hot, battered, fried, baked. Spain has its way of making an imprint, since the colonial times. Once you have tried tapas you have been conquered! They’re contagious and delicious. In the beginning you may be going innocently about it. Tapas are designed to encourage conversation and they’re perfect to break the ice or even close a deal.

I was intrigued about how it all started so I did a bit of a research to share with you. In early times in Andalusia, Spain, bar goers would use slices of bread to cover their drinks to avoid flies from hovering over their sweet sherry drinks. They even used ham or chorizo to cover the drinks as well. Bar tenders had found their profitable niche. Now they could sell ham, bread, chorizo and anything that could cover (tapar) the glass. I can see how the Spanish word “tapar” (cover) morphed into “tapas.” There are other possible stories about its origin, tied to royalty, but I thought this one made the most sense. This root is also closer to me, since in my Caribbean home flies are a nuisance..  What a clever way to put an end to the issue, while staying joyful and cheerful 🙂

All this said, I had to stop by Tapas D’Jerez in Colorado. I was not disappointed. An authentic atmosphere with Flamenco guitarist and dancer, and Spanish painter art hangs on the walls. The Chef made us feel at home. He accompanied us while explaining the various tapa dishes in great detail. Before deciding to visit them, I had read their story which is posted in their website, http://www.tapasdjerez.com.

Here are a few pictures of what we eat and loved! Last, but definitely not least, we had “Sangria” which was exquisite! I felt transported to Spain. We also had a great and fine choice of imported and local wines. I opted for a Spanish wine, of course! It was delicious and a great partner for my tapas. 🙂

Tapas – Crepes de Mariscos (Seafood crepes)

Traditional tapa dishes: Pimiento de Piquillo a la Hortelana

Parrillada de Pescado y Mariscos – Grilled Seafood Platter Tapas

This Paella was not just delicious but also abundant! Tapas D’Jerez may be on the opposite side of the planet from Spain, but this is a wonderful way to travel the world with fine dining.