21 Spanish Small Plates, From Pintxos to Tapas (2024)

FAQs

What are the small plates of food in Spain? ›

A tapa (Spanish: [ˈtapa]) is an appetiser or snack in Spanish cuisine. Tapas can be combined to make a full meal, and can be cold (such as mixed olives and cheese) or hot (such as chopitos, which are battered, fried baby squid, or patatas bravas).

Popular throughout Spain, tapas are festive and delicious appetizers and snacks from bite-size pintxos to shared small plates that make up a meal. Traditional tapas include mixed olives, garlicky shrimp, fried baby squid, meatballs, and chorizo.

Originating in Spain, tapas are small plates of food served as light snacks during happy hour or as appetizers before the main course. Tapas restaurants are growing in popularity in the US because they create a communal dining experience where guests can nibble multiple items without filling up on any dish.

The word "tapas" is derived from the Spanish verb tapar, "to cover", a cognate of the English top. In pre-19th century Spain tapas were served by posadas, albergues, or bodegas, offering meals and rooms for travellers.

Traditionally they are small savoury dishes, snacks or appetisers of Spanish cuisine. It might be breads and meat, or a selection of dishes from ham, stuffed mussels, fried squid, to olives, sautéed mushroom and other vegetables. Essentially, Tapas is a small plate or serving, and it's a great way to try something new.

Appetizer Plate Size

Also known as a small plate or a tasting plate, is a compact dish that typically measures around 4" to 7" in diameter.

Starters, small plates, appetizers, tapas…these terms all may seem interchangeable at first glance, and in many cases, there is a lot of overlap.

In some Spanish cities, like Granada, you can get great tapas for free with your drink. In other places, like San Sebastián, tapas (actually called pintxos) are more gourmet and need to be ordered. Something more new to the tradition is that most people will “go for tapas”.

In a restaurant, small plates are exactly what they sound like: small portions of menu items, usually meant to be ordered many at a time or on a rolling basis throughout a meal. Small plates are often shared among guests, so everyone gets to try a little of each item.

Small, frequent meals, also referred to as grazing, picking, nibbling, and snack-eating, is a dietary pattern characterized by consuming multiple meals throughout the day.

What foods are tapas? ›

Tapas are a wide variety of appetizers, or snacks, in Spanish cuisine. 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 an entire and sophisticated cuisine.

Small plates also mean that chefs are allowed to be more focused on high-quality dishes, not only in terms of taste but also presentation. Small plates are also beneficial because they help reduce food inventory, losses from spoilage and allow for lower cost and higher margins.

Tapas are small portions of Spanish food served with a drink. Beyond that, there are a big variety of styles depending on the region, or even from one tapas bar to the next in the same town.

Tapas are small portions of food that can be simple or intricate, and which are served with drinks in bars throughout Spain.

A tapa is basically a small portion of food, meant for sharing. Una tapa es una pequeña porción de comida a compartir.

Tapas are a wide variety of appetizers, or snacks, in Spanish cuisine. They may be cold (such as mixed olives and cheese) or warm (such as chopitos, which are battered, fried baby squid).

Appetizers and starters essentially mean the same thing. These are small amounts of food that are generally light and savory and are enjoyed as a light first course. They are meant to stimulate an appetite and get you ready for a meal.

What are Tapas? Every culture has a version of these “l*ttle dishes”—small portions of food that are served before a large meal, or eaten as a snack or mid-day tasting. Italy has the antipasto platter, Turkey its mezze, China its dim sum, and Mexico its antojitos. And Spain is home to tasty tapas.