An Andalucian Tapas Experience
Order These Delicious Snacks with Little or no Spanish Skills
The history of tapas is clouded in obscurity. General opinion seems to agree that rounds of bread were placed on top of drinks to keep the flies out. A tapa is a lid after all. After a while enterprising inn keepers placed small snacks on the bread itself. Spaniards certainly like to drink, and invariably follow this pursuit sensibly. Most wouldn’t dream of drinking without food.
There may certainly be something in this, but soggy bread crumbs floating in a glass of wine or sherry don’t sound very appetizing either.
Tapas Readily Available
The whys and wherefores are best left to the historians. What is certain is that tapas are available throughout Spain at reasonable prices.
Bars serving these delicious snacks offer secondary benefits to visitors. They are easy to order, and come in small portions.
Traditional Spanish dishes are offered at prices ranging from as little as 50 cents. There are even places offering free servings with each drink, although these are increasingly hard to find.
It hardly matters if the unsuspecting diner discovers tripe on his plate. Eat it or leave it, the price won’t hurt, and the size of the portion, no more than a couple of bites, can encourage taste adventures. Samples that are enjoyed can be ordered later in larger portions. A racion is considered to be a portion, but media raciones, half portions, are readily available.
It isn’t uncommon in Spain for a party to order several dishes to share with the table, each guest dipping into communal plates.
Most bars have a long, glass fronted cooler either on the bar, or behind it, displaying the day’s suggestions (sugerencias). The ones behind the bar normally have a mirror reflecting the day’s variety.
Customers with no Spanish only need point at their selection.
A Typical Tapeteria
La Tapeteria de la Abuela, (Grandma’s tapas place) in Coín would be an excellent starting point for anyone with an interest in Spanish cuisine. With a written menu, once again non-linguists can point to their selection. This changes frequently depending on seasonal availability and there are always daily specials. Most of the food is home made (casera) and can be quite different.
Recent specials included octopus, prepared in either the traditional Galician style, or as a specialty of the house itself. Small rounds of toast spread with sobresada (a soft and spicy Majorcan sausage)and topped with fried quail’s eggs are to die for. Or how about chicken cooked in Coca-Cola?
Home made black puddings are delicious and huevos revueltos are not revolting eggs, as the word might suggest, but scrambled. Little, savory shrimp pancakes are worth trying.
Indeed eggs form an important part of the Spanish diet and come in a variety of guises. The traditional tortilla, a solid omelet, usually prepared with potatoes although peppers or spinach can and do make an appearance. These, along with olives and cheese might have to suffice for vegetarians.
Clean Friendly and Welcoming
This is not a restaurant but a typical Spanish bar. Small, clean and friendly it offers a warm welcome to strangers. The half dozen tables can be pushed together in any combination to accommodate different sized parties.
The only problem with the menu, comprising as it does seventeen, or more, different tapas, exclusive of specials, is that it would be difficult to try the lot at one sitting. But with an especially mellow house wine, or an impressively strong beer or two, it is certainly worth the attempt.
There are frequent bus services to Coín, in Andalucía, from Marbella, Fuengirola or Malaga.
Tapeteria de la Abuela
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Spanish Tapas Bar
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Selection of Tapas
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