Comment from Jose Leandro

Me acuerdo cuando iba con mi padre al centro de Valencia a pot tapas en varios bares. Me encantaban la ensaladilla rusa con rosquietas. En un bar te daban una chuleta con papas fritas de tapa! Bueno , no creo que eso ya existe en Valencia, de que te den tapa gratis por pedir una bebida. Ahora yo mismo tengo hambre! Gracias por el podcast.

Comment from Marina

Antes de grabar el podcast busqué el nombre de los dos reyes que mencionamos en el podcast en mi wiki personal y no fui capaz de encontrar la información. Os la pego aquí­ por si queréis saber los detalles (sorry está en Inglés)

There are a couple of legends about the origin of the tapas:

The first one says that Spanish King Alfonso XIII was in offical visit to Cadiz when he decided to stop to rest for a while in the Ventorrillo del Chato (establishment that apparently still exists). Just when he asked the waiter for a glass of Jerez a blow of wind came into the bar, so in order to avoid beach sand gettnig into the king’s glass the waiter covered it with a slice of ham. The King curiusly asked the waiter why he put the ham on top of the glass and he appologise and told the King that he wanted to prevent the sand to get into the wine. The King liked the idea and asked for another wine but with the same tapa (tapa means lid or cover) and then the rest of the court asked for the same wine with the tapa.

There is another story that tells that during King Alfonso X kingdom he ordered that no wine would be served in tabernas without a little bit of free food to avoid people getting too drunk. So it was common to serve it in a little plate that was placed on the top of the glass.

Comment from Enrique

It has always seemed obvious to me that the serving of Tapas is a an unspoken “Christianity test” stemming from the Reconquista. Can’t you picture it… stranger walks into a tavern and the first thing they put in front of him is some shellfish and ham!

Comment from Jose Miguel

Muchas veces me preguntan los mejores sitios para tomar tapas en España. Mi ranking personal es:

1. San Sebastián (a must area: la Parte Vieja)
Granada (a must area: el Albaicí­n)

2. Bilbao (a must area: Siete Calles)
Pamplona (a must area: calle Estafeta)

3. Madrid (a must area: calle Cava Baja)
Burgos (a must area: calle Sombrererí­a)
León (a must area: el Barrio Húmedo)
Logroño (a must area: calle Laurel)
Zaragoza (a must area: plaza Santa Marta)
Valladolid (a must area: calle Correos)
Málaga (a must area: calle Granada)
Sevilla (a must area: barrio de Triana)

Comment from Ben

Enrique – I love that idea

Jose- thanks for the list!

Comment from compa

no puede entender una de las palabras que maria dijo-ella dijo que nunca ha probabado una oreja de-cual animale fue? ben dijo que no fue una oreja de humano . . pero cual animale? gracias!

Comment from ben

…de cerdo! Una tapa comun en algunas pocas bares de Madrid