The Spanish have a strong tradition of eating finger foods so much so that there is a special time of the day for the activity. Find out about the most popular finger food items in Spain.
As far as food is concerned there is a time and place for everything in Spain. The Spanish divide the intake of their food into four to five meals per day and each meal time has its own set of dishes that are commonly consumed only at those times. Traditionally the Spaniards are not accustomed to have a large breakfast. The reason behind this is that a couple of hours later they take to the table again. This time is known as the tapa time which is a much loved tradition in Spain that has been coming down from generation to generation for centuries. The food consumed at this time is light but diverse and rich in tasting. It takes on many forms and varies from region to region but the tapas delights are finger foods that are finger licking good.
Finger Food Time in Spain
This meal time is the most experimental of all as there is no hard and fast rule as to what to eat and what not to eat. The only thing one must keep in mind is that lunch time is close by so one need not stock himself up on finger foods. Rather finger foods are just a way to keep your taste buds active and your energy level constant until lunch time. A chunk of tuna or cocktail onions are typical tapa time finger foods. Another tasty delight for this time of the day are the olives that you find skewered upon long tooth picks which are to be dipped in sauce that is served in a hot miniature clay dish. The Spaniards’ love for finger foods is evident in the fact that they even invented a verb over going to eat them that is “tapear” which means let’s go eat tapas.
Finger foods fulfill the purpose of sustaining the individual’s health and body until he gets to hit the table again at noon. It works out well to keep them focused on their jobs or the long drives that they have to make. Some day time cafes will even offer a complimentary tapa to their guests but most places will require the individual to buy them. These tasty delights are definitely worth the buy.
There are many myths surrounding the origin of this finger food tradition in Spain. But the fact of the matter is that nobody really cares about where the idea originated from, rather they just love the idea and cherish the different variety of finger foods available to them. The Spanish omelet with potatoes known as the tortilla Espanola is one of the hot favorites of the locals. Then you have the patata bravas which are potatoes served with spicy brava sauce. With a little variation you have the patatas alioli with a different sauce. The garlicky shrimp delight known as the Gambas al ajillo and the fried squid is also popular in Spain. Olives a la madrilène and heavos rellenos de atun-a tuna and deviled egg based delights are part of the tapa meal time as well. The banderillas- onions, pickles and peppers on a toothpick is yet another Spanish finger food item consumed during tapa time.
