Tapas are appetizers, or snacks, in Spanish cuisine. Available in a wide variety, they may be cold (such as mixed olives and cheese) or warm (such as chopitos, which are battered, fried baby squid). In select restaurants and bars in Spain, tapas have evolved into their own sophisticated cuisine. Throughout the nation, diners can order many different tapas and combine them to make a full meal. In some Central American countries, such snacks are known as bocas.
| Name | Image | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Aceitunas |  | Olives, sometimes with a filling of anchovies or red bell pepper |
| Albóndigas |  | Meatballs with sauce |
| Aioli |  | "Garlic and oil" is a sauce, the classic ingredients of which are garlic, oil and salt, but the most common form of it includes mayonnaise and garlic, served on bread or with boiled or grilled potatoes, fish, meat or vegetables. |
| Bacalao |  | Salted cod loin sliced very thinly, usually served with bread and tomatoes |
| Banderillas |  | Also called pinchos de encurtidos, are cold tapas made from small food items pickled in vinegar and skewered together. They are also known as gildas or piparras and consist of pickled items, like olives, baby onions, baby cucumbers, chiles (guindilla) with pieces of pepper and other vegetables. Sometimes they include an anchovy. [1] |
| Boquerones |  | White anchovies served in vinegar ( boquerones en vinagre ) or deep fried |
| Calamares |  | Also known as rabas, these are rings of battered squid |
| Carcamusa |  | Beef stew, usually with potatoes, vegetables and chilli sauce |
| Chopitos |  | Battered and fried tiny squid, also known as puntillitas |
| Cojonuda | A small toast with Spanish morcilla topped with a fried quail egg, and sometimes served with a little strip of red, spicy pepper. It is very common in Burgos, as morcilla de Burgos contains rice, which is popular across Spain. [2] Witticism: Coja can be lewd woman or an understanding (as cojón means testicle), but see also Cojonudo below | |
| Cojonudo | As for cojonuda above but made with chorizo or ham often with garlic topped with a fried quail egg [3] | |
| Chorizo al vino | Chorizo sausage slowly cooked in wine | |
| Chorizo a la sidra |  | Chorizo sausage slowly cooked in cider [4] |
| Croquetas |  | A common sight in bar counters and homes across Spain, served as a tapa, [5] a light lunch, or a dinner along with a salad |
| Empanadillas |  | Large or small turnovers filled with meats and vegetables [6] |
| Ensaladilla rusa |  | Literally, "(little) Russian salad", this dish is made with mixed boiled vegetables with tuna, olives and mayonnaise |
| Fried cheese |  | A tapas dish in Spain [7] |
| Gambas |  | Prawns sauteed in salsa negra (peppercorn sauce), al ajillo (with garlic), or pil-pil (with chopped chili peppers) |
| Mejillones rellenos | Stuffed mussels, called tigres ("tigers") in Navarre because of the spicy taste | |
| Marinera | Typical of Murcia, marinera are horseshoe shaped breadsticks topped with ensaladilla rusa and an anchovy which has been cut into two or three pieces | |
| Papas arrugadas |  | Also known as papas con mojo (see Canarian wrinkly potatoes) (Canary Islands), this dish consists of very small, new potatoes boiled in salt water similar to sea water, then drained, slightly roasted and served with mojo sauce (sauce made with garlic, Spanish paprika, red pepper, cumin seed, olive oil, wine vinegar, and salt) and bread miga (fresh bread crumbs without the crust) to thicken it. |
| Patatas bravas |  | Also known as papas bravas: fried potato dice (sometimes parboiled and then fried, or simply boiled) served with one or several spicy sauces (e.g. tomato sauce, mayo, aioli) |
| Patatas a lo pobre |  | "Poor man's (boiled) potato" slices with a light creamy sauce, usually served cold. There are several variations including patatas allioli with garlic and patatas pimientos with pimientos [8] |
| Pimientos de Padrón |  | Small green peppers originally from Padrón (a municipality in the province of A Coruña, Galicia) that are fried in olive oil or served raw, most are mild, but a few in each batch are quite spicy. |
| Pulpo a la gallega |  | Galician-style octopus or polbo á feira (octopus in the trade fair style) in Galicia, is cooked in boiling water (preferably in a copper cauldron or pan) and served hot in olive oil. The octopus pieces are seasoned with substantial amounts of paprika, giving it its recognisable red color, and sea salt for texture and flavour. |
| Pincho moruno |  | Literally "Moorish spike", a kebab with spicy meat, made of pork, lamb or chicken |
| Puntillitas |  | (Andalusia) or chopitos (central Spain), this dish is battered and fried tiny squid |
| Queso con anchoas | Castilla or Manchego cured cheese with anchovies on top | |
| Raxo | Pork seasoned with garlic and parsley, with added paprika, called zorza | |
| Setas al Ajillo |  | Fresh mushrooms usually champignons which are sauteed with olive oil and garlic. [9] |
| Solomillo a la castellana | Small fried pork or beef medallions served with an onion or Cabrales cheese sauce | |
| Solomillo al whisky |  | Small pork or beef medallions marinated in whiskey, brandy or white wine and fried in olive oil |
| Tortilla de patatas |  | A Spanish omelette or tortilla española, a substantial omelette (typically 1 - 2 cm x 10 - 20 cm diameter) containing substantial chunks of potatoes bound with egg, sometimes flavored with onions. Tortillas as tapas are usually just a small wedge or pincho which may be served hot or cold, often with bread (occasionally also with aioli or mayonnaise) |
| Tapas mexicanas |  | A Tapas containing all kind of snacks |
| Tortilla paisana |  | A tortilla containing vegetables and chorizo (similar to frittata) |
| Tortillitas de camarones |  | Battered prawn fritters. |
| Zamburiñas |  | Renowned Galician scallops ( Chlamys varia ), often served in a marinera , tomato-based sauce |
| Zarajo |  | Traditional offal wound on a stick |
Spanish cuisine consists of the traditions and practices of Spanish cooking. It features considerable regional diversity, with important differences between the traditions of each of Spain's regional cuisines.
Tapas are appetisers or snacks in Spanish cuisine. They can be combined to make a full meal, and are served cold or hot. In some bars and restaurants in Spain and across the globe, tapas have evolved into a sophisticated cuisine. In some Central American countries, such snacks are known as bocas. In parts of Mexico, similar dishes are called botanas.
An hors d'oeuvre, appetiser or starter is a small dish served before a meal in European cuisine. Some hors d'oeuvres are served cold, others hot. Hors d'oeuvres may be served at the dinner table as a part of the meal, or they may be served before seating, such as at a reception or cocktail party. Formerly, hors d'oeuvres were also served between courses. There are two types of hors d'oeuvre from service point of view:
Puerto Rican cuisine consists of the cooking style and traditional dishes original to Puerto Rico. It has been primarily a fusion influenced by the ancestors of the Puerto Rican people: the indigenous Taínos, Spanish Criollos and sub-Saharan African slaves. As a territory of the United States, the culinary scene of Puerto Rico has also been moderately influenced by American cuisine.
Meze is a selection of small dishes served as appetizers in Levantine, Turkish, Balkan, Armenian, Kurdish, and Greek cuisines. It is similar to Spanish tapas and Italian antipasti. A meze may be served as a part of a multi-course meal or form a meal in itself. Meze are often served with spirits such as arak, rakia, raki, oghi, ouzo, or grappa at meyhane and ouzeri or at regular restaurants.
Peperoncino is the generic Italian name for hot chili peppers, specifically some regional cultivars of the species Capsicum annuum and C. frutescens. The sweet pepper is called peperone in Italian. Like most peppers, the fruit is green or yellowish-green when young, and ripens to a red colour.
Bruschetta is an Italian antipasto consisting of grilled bread often topped with olive oil and salt. Most commonly it is served with toppings of tomato, vegetables, beans, cured meat, and/or cheese. In Italy, bruschetta is often prepared using a brustolina grill.
Filipino cuisine is composed of the cuisines of more than a hundred distinct ethnolinguistic groups found throughout the Philippine archipelago. A majority of mainstream Filipino dishes that compose Filipino cuisine are from the food traditions of various ethnolinguistic groups and tribes of the archipelago, including the Ilocano, Pangasinan, Kapampangan, Tagalog, Bicolano, Visayan, Chavacano, and Maranao ethnolinguistic groups. The dishes associated with these groups evolved over the centuries from a largely indigenous base shared with maritime Southeast Asia with varied influences from Chinese, Spanish, and American cuisines, in line with the major waves of influence that had enriched the cultures of the archipelago, and adapted using indigenous ingredients to meet local preferences.
Arancini, also known as arancine, are Italian rice balls that are stuffed, coated with breadcrumbs and deep-fried. They are a staple of Sicilian cuisine. The most common arancini fillings are al ragù or al sugo, filled with ragù, mozzarella or caciocavallo cheese, and often peas, and al burro or ô burru, filled with ham and mozzarella or béchamel sauce.
Sweet potato pie is a traditional dessert, originating in the Southern United States. It is often served during the American holiday season, especially at Thanksgiving and Christmas in place of pumpkin pie, which is more traditional in other regions of the United States.
Corn fritters are fried cakes of a dough or batter made of, or containing a featured quantity of maize (corn). Originating in Native American cuisine, they are a traditional sweet and savory snack in the Southern United States, as well as Indonesia where they are known as perkedel jagung or bakwan jagung.
Ratatouille is a French Provençal dish of stewed vegetables that originated in Nice and is sometimes referred to as ratatouille niçoise. Recipes and cooking times differ widely, but common ingredients include tomato, garlic, onion, courgette (zucchini), aubergine, capsicum, and some combination of leafy green herbs common to the region, such as chives or fennel.
Vitello tonnato is a Piedmontese dish of cold, sliced veal covered with a creamy, mayonnaise-like sauce that has been flavored with tuna. It is served chilled or at room temperature, generally in the summertime, as the main course of an Italian meal or as "an exceedingly elegant antipasto for an elaborate dinner". It is also very popular, by inheritance, in Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay, where it is known by its original name in Piedmontese vitel tonnè and considered a traditional Christmas dish.
Penelope Casas was an American food writer, cookbook author and expert on the cuisine of Spain. Casas began authoring a series of English-language cookbooks focusing on the food of Spain during the 1980s, effectively introducing Americans to Spain's culinary heritage for the first time.
Garlic soup is a type of soup using garlic as a main ingredient. In Spanish cuisine, sopa de ajo is a traditional garlic soup made with bread and egg poached in chicken broth, and laced with garlic and sherry.
Balkan cuisine is a type of regional cuisine that combines characteristics of European cuisine with some of those from West Asia. It is found in the Balkan Peninsula of Southeast Europe, a region without clear boundaries but which is generally considered to at least include the modern countries of Albania, Bulgaria, Turkey, Romania and Greece and the former Yugoslavia, with the possible exception of Slovenia and northern inland regions of Croatia.
Fried cheese is a dish of cheese that is fried in oil. Fried cheese can be dipped in a batter before frying, and can be pan-fried or deep fried. It can be served as an appetizer or a snack.
Media related to Tapas at Wikimedia Commons| Dishes by origin |
| ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| By type and origin |
| ||||||||||||||||||||
| By type |
| ||||||||||||||||||||
