Today is World Tapas Day 2025. Here are some things you might not know about tapas:
Tapas is a plural word. The singular of tapas is tapa. A tapa is a small plate of food normally served with a drink.
The name comes from the Spanish verb “tapar”, which means to cover. In fact, one theory as to how tapas originated is that in the olden days, drinks would be served with something edible, like Bread, over it, to stop flies getting in the booze.
Another theory is that in the days before most people could read and write, a restaurant owner would bring out small samples of the menu on the lid (or cover) of a pot. It has also been said that bartenders would serve salty snacks so customers would drink more, or that the food was served to mask the taste of bad Wine.
Or, it might have started with a king. King Alfonso X of Castile is said to have developed the habit of taking small meals with wine when recovering from an illness, and then decreed that all bars should serve small dishes with drinks. Or possibly it was Alfonso XIII. When he stopped off for refreshment at a tavern in Cadiz, known for being a windy spot near a beach, the waiter put a slice of ham over the glass to stop sand blowing in. The king, after drinking the wine and eating the ham, ordered another wine con la tapa ("with the cover").
Yet another theory is that tapas began as a tool of the Spanish Inquisition. Many tapas dishes contain ham or pork or shellfish so it was used as a means to identify who was Jewish and would therefore refuse to eat them.
A pinxo is a type of tapas served on a skewer or cocktail stick to keep the ingredients together. Keeping the skewers was a way of keeping track of how many you’d had when it came to settling the bill.
Tapas served in larger portions as a main course are called raciones.
There’s even a verb in the Spanish language which means “to go and eat tapas” – “Tapear”.
In Spain, people tend to eat their main meal late in the evening, sometimes as late as 10pm. Tapas are eaten at about 5pm to keep people going until then and stop them getting “hangry”.
There are many different tapas dishes, which will vary according to the region and even the individual restaurant/bar. A small number of examples: Meatballs with sauce; puntillitas, which are battered and fried tiny Squid; stuffed Olives; Chorizo sausage slowly cooked in wine or Cider.
Beta
(Combat Team Series #2)
Steff was abducted by an evil alien race, the Orbs, at fourteen. Used as a weapon for years, he eventually escapes, but his problems are just beginning. How does a man support himself when his only work experience is a paper round and using an Orb bio-integrated gun?
Warlord is an alien soldier who knows little but war. When the centuries-old conflict which ravaged his planet ends, he seeks out another world where his skills are still relevant. There are always wars on Earth, it seems. However, none of Earth's powerful armies want him.
Natalie has always wanted to visit England and sees a chance to do so while using her martial arts skills, but there are sacrifices she must make in order to fulfil her dream.
Maggie resorted to crime to fund her sister's medical care. She uses her genetic variant abilities to gain access to the rooms of wealthy hotel guests. The Ballards look like rich pickings, but they are not what they seem. When Maggie targets them, little does she know that she is walking into a trap.
Hotel owner Hamilton Lonsdale puts together a combat team to pit against those of other multi-millionaires. He recruits Warlord, Natalie, Maggie and Steff along with a trained gorilla, a probability-altering alien, a stockbroker whose work of art proved to be much more than he'd bargained for, a marketing officer who can create psionic forcefields, a teleporting member of the landed gentry, and a socially awkward fixer. This is Combat Team Beta.
Steff never talks about his time with the Orbs, until he finds a woman who lived through it, too. Steff believes he has finally found happiness, but it is destined to be short-lived. He is left with an unusual legacy which he and Team Beta struggle to comprehend; including why something out there seems determined to destroy it.
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