Origin and current rise of Spanish tapas

The Spanish tapas were invented by Alfonso XIII, or at least that is what the legend says. According to this story, the monarch stopped at an inn (Ventorrillo del Chato) in Cádiz to rest during one of his trips and ordered wine to accompany him. The window of the place was open and a cloud of dust was coming through it.
The person in charge of the inn brought a bottle of wine to the king's table and covered the tasting glass with a slice of ham. The monarch, surprised by this action, asked him why he had placed the slice of ham there, to which the owner of the place explained that it was to "cover" (tapar) the drink so it wouldn't get dirty with the dust and sand coming from outside. The rest of the members of the Court, surprised and pleased by the invention, asked for the same treatment for their respective glasses.

The legend of the origin of Spanish tapas has more variants involving other kings such as Alfonso X "The Wise" and other motivations for the food, such as the fact of being able to better handle the drink.

In any case, it is a proven fact that Spanish tapas originated with the well-known ham, and subsequently the variety was expanded with slices of chorizo, other cold cuts, and wedges of cheese. In this way, it can be said that the most traditional tapas are those that gather one or more of these ingredients and are served as an accompaniment to a drink or refreshment.

However, Spanish tapas have experienced a boom that, even today, is still on the rise. In this sense, there is much variety in both form and content. The towns of the interior and the North of Spain are considered those that serve the most abundant tapas, on some occasions equivalent to a full dish of food, which distorts the original concept of their function.

In other regions, they are more austere and the tapa may be limited to nuts and olives on the best occasions. Nevertheless, it is always possible to order tapas separately as an accompaniment at a reasonable price. In these cases, the potato takes center stage in the form of french fries with different types of sauces, pieces of potato omelet accompanied by a piece of bread, as well as cold cuts just like in the original tapas.

In areas near the sea, it is also frequent for tapas to include sardines, octopus, cuttlefish, or fish of various types, most of the time small in size and also accompanied by bread to make it easier for the diner to eat.

Internationally, this taste for tapas has been successful in all those countries where it has been exported, to the point of being considered typical Spanish food today. In any case, we must not forget that the true origin is that of accompanying the drink with a small portion of food. And, in the event that a waiter brings out the tapa plate on top of the glass, it will be a true tribute to the legend that surrounds its real origin.