![]() There are many tapas competitions throughout Spain, but there is only one National Tapas competition, which is celebrated every year in November. Since tapas often consist in part of ham or other non-kosher foodstuffs, the reluctance of the conversos to eat whatever tapas dish was offered to them could be taken as a tacit admission that they had not abandoned their Jewish faith, thus tapas were a tool of the Spanish Inquisition. It has also been claimed that tapas originated in the south of Spain during the time of the Spanish Inquisition as a means of publicly identifying conversos, Jews who had converted to Christianity. The discovery of the New World brought the introduction of tomatoes, sweet and chili peppers, maize (corn), and potatoes, which were readily accepted and easily grown in Spain's microclimates. ![]() Most of the Iberian Peninsula was invaded by the Romans, who introduced more extensive cultivation of the olive following their invasion of Spain in 212 B.C. Tapas have evolved through Spanish history by incorporating new ingredients and influences. ![]() The tapas eventually became as important as the sherry. Because of this, bartenders and restaurant owners created a variety of snacks to serve with sherry, thus increasing their alcohol sales. The meat used to cover the sherry was normally ham or chorizo, which are both very salty and activate thirst. This was a practical measure meant to prevent fruit flies from hovering over the sweet sherry (see below for more explanations). Īccording to Joy of Cooking, the original tapas were thin slices of bread or meat which sherry drinkers in Andalusian taverns used to cover their glasses between sips. Since few innkeepers could write and few travellers read, inns offered their guests a sample of the dishes available, on a "tapa" (the word for pot cover in Spanish). In pre-19th-century Spain tapas were served by posadas, albergues or bodegas, offering meals and rooms for travellers. The word "tapas" is derived from the Spanish verb tapar, "to cover", a cognate of the English top. Tapas bar and restaurant at Plaza Mayor, Madrid.
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