In the thirteenth century, there was a King of Castilla named Alfonso (1221-1284), it would be the X-th. Apparently this wise king was not only a great protector of the many different languages of the world and developer of the school of translators in Toledo, he also was the father of this very unique item and ritual that Spaniards make and eat -- "tapas".

The tale tells us, that our beloved king would have suffered from some kind of an illness, and that is when the royal doctor warned him to be very cautious. That meant that he could only drink a glass of wine for lunch and dinner and with it he could have a small bit to eat! It turned out that this king’s diet made him strong again, so after some thinking and reflecting he concluded: "If this is good for me, this has to be good for everyone", quite a smart thought, especially if we place it in the XIII century.

After some more thinking and additional reflecting Alfonso X decided to issue across the whole Castillian Kingdom: "From now on, all the bartenders of the kingdom are obliged to give a small portion of food when serving a beer or wine”!

The name of the tapa itself is claimed by different stories and origins, so it is virtually mythical:

One of the first stories tells that Spaniards when having a drink and that small bite to eat, they will use that plate to put on “TOP” of their glasses so that flies or other uninvited “visitors” won´t get into the drink.

The other legend makes reference to the Spanish King Alfonso but this time the XIII. Apparently while on a journey to the south of Spain he stopped for a refreshment at a local tavern, and apparently sand a storm came towards the tavern so the bartender ran outside to carrying a piece of ham he was about to give the king with his drink and used it to put it on top of his wine. The king was surprised and asked the barman what was he doing? The barman’s answer was: “Your majesty I put the ham a cover your wine so that it won’t get full of sand!” The king laughed and so did everyone. He thought it was so amusing, he decided to eat the ham drink the wine, and, of course as a good Spaniard would do, got another round!

In Madrid like in many places of Spain the tradition of tapas is preserved and well maintained. Apart from being a true authentic free time activity it is celebrated by annual “tapas routes” sponsored by local beer producers. For example you can follow the routes offered by Gastronosfera and sponsored by one of the mythical beer producer Estrella, or you can choose the one sponsored by the Madrid local beer brewery Mahou - Tapeo Mahou. These events are seasonal and usually celebrate the beginning of warm weather when people rush out to meet the spring and enjoy a pleasant time in company of friends or strangers.

But don’t you worry, you can always count with us to take you on a very Spanish, personal and tailor-made Tapas Tour any time of the year!

Author: Enrique

Sources:
- Cronicas de Madrid, 1990
- Biblioteca digital del Patrimonio Histórico del Ayuntamiento de Madrid