Today, we are in Barcelona at the Catalana Tapas Bar……. Won’t you join me?
We had expressed an interest in eating lunch in a tapas bar and reservations were made for us at the Catalana. It’s a good thing we had reservations, because when we were dropped off, the restaurant was packed! We asked our waiter to choose dishes for us, since we had no idea what most of them were from looking at the menu. After asking us about likes and dislikes, this is what we got! If you don’t know what a tapas bar is ……….It usually is a small establishment where small plates of various foods are served along with beer, wine or some kind of alcohol. The dishes are lined up on the counter and the various selections have toothpicks in them. You make your choices and place them on your plate. Your bill is tallied by how many toothpicks you have on your plate. The food is meant to be an appetizer or snack in Spanish cuisine. The food may be cold, such as mixed olives and cheese, or hot such as chopitos; food that can be battered and fried. So, don’t throw away your toothpicks! But, today we were in a restaurant setting with a menu to choose from……
How did the tapas tradition begin? The word “tapas” is derived from the Spanish/Portuguese verb, tapar, “to cover or top.” Before the 19th century, roads were in bad condition; traveling was slow and exhausting. Add in the fact that many people could not read or write. So inns sprang up along the routes offering meals, rooms and fresh horses for travelers. The innkeepers offered guests a sample of the dishes available, rather than a menu.
The original tapas in Andalusian taverns were thin slices of bread or bread with meat. The bread was used to cover their glasses of sherry between sips. This practice was meant to prevent the fruit flies from hovering over their drinks. The tapas usually included pieces of ham or chorizo, which are very salty and made you very thirsty. Because of this, future bartenders and restaurants created a variety of “tapas” to serve, quick and easy! And, of course, increase their alcohol sales!
We started out with a jambon, (ham) and some cheesy stick bread and a pitcher of champagne sangria! A very good start I’d say! The dishes were very generous!
The specialty here, that everyone we met said we must try, because they were simply the best…………was fries topped with runny cooked egg! I think it has to be an acquired taste, as I don’t even like my fries with ketchup! But, when in Barcelona, do as the Catalans do to get the full experience of the meal!
The fries were followed by beef tournedos or beef tenderloin cooked in bacon………..Yummy!
After our Catalana tapas meal our driver picked us up and drove us to more places on our itinerary…….but later in the day we had to stop for this!
I hope you have enjoyed my foodie post for Friday from Barcelona………… If you would like to post your foodie photos from around the world, just leave a comment with your post and share a little about where and what you were eating! I’ll share them in my following posts every Friday! Here are few from the past week! Some good eating here!
Trix is in Germany today………….Geriatrixfotogallerie
Sarah has a treat for us!……… TravelWithMe
We are enjoying a different kind of Carrot Cake with Ju-Lyn………..Touring My Backyard
ThatTravelLadyInHerShoes 
A tapas bar in Spain sounds divine, especially with that champagne sangria. Yum!
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If your not sure what you are ordering or getting……. it’s good to start with alcohol! Ha Ha!
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Beautiful pictures! You have just taken me back to our Camino Frances we’ve walked in Spain in 2017 … for almost 4 weeks we had tapas every day!
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It’s hard keeping up with you Cady. One minute Cornwall, then Barcelona the next!
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Oh, I get around girl!
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You do!
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You sure do!
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Wonderful selection of food in that first photo. Most tempting!
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Heavens! That’s rather substantial tapas. Not really our thing, but when in… Barcelona 🙂 🙂
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I am getting hungry! I have to look up my tapas pictures…
I am taking you to Greece today: https://geriatrixfotogallerie.wordpress.com/2021/03/19/eating-in-the-harbour-of-koroni/
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Oh, I see now, it’s in Greece! The Greek Islands and Athens was one of our destinations last year and you know how all those plans went up in the wind! We are having to re-think all our travel plans because we’re about two years behind schedule now and I am not getting any younger! I have only been to Corfu!
I’m looking up Koroni because I don’t know where that is! But, it definitely looks like my kind of place! How long did you travel the world in your boat? Cady
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We visited Korfu 2005 with boat, when we sailed from Italy to Turkey.
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I hope you do! I would like to see your photos! Cady
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Since our daughter lives in Barcelona, we’ve had the chance to try lots of tapas bars. We enjoy the ‘spit and sawdust’ places just as much as the more up-market ones. But whatever their style, they’re wonderfully convivial places to be, so thanks for taking us along.
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Yes, I prefer the “spit and sawdust too” Margaret! You get more of the old vibe! I keep forgetting to tell you I finished that book, 10 Minutes 38 Seconds in this Strange World! I flew through that book! I love her writing style and those characters kept me hooked! Wasn’t that the most interesting way to write the story? I thought so! I am reading another of her books now, The Forty Rules of Love! I may end up reading all her books so thank you for suggesting the book to me! Cady
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Brilliant, so pleased! I’ll try more of her books now too – 10 minutes … was the only one I’ve tried so far.
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Very good…..the best tapas I had were kidneys in a sauce, just delicious with manzanilla, in Córdoba
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I don’t know if I could eat that! Maybe, if I didn’t know what it was! Cady
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A lot of people would say they couldn’t…but believe me, very tasty!
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Ooh, I love tapas! We’re lucky to have several great tapas restaurants in London but nothing beats being in the country of origin like this 🙂
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oh i love tapas in Barcelona! 🙂 🙂
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Oh my gosh..love to be there..I think that’s where we had a meal..
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This week I am taking you to Bologna: https://www.toonsarah-travels.blog/bologna-la-grassa-a-foodies-delight/
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OH My Gosh Sarah! Isn’t this THE POST! I have been so busy because I leave tomorrow and had to get all my ducks in a row especially post wise ………..We have been to many cities in Italy, but never Bologna! We may have to remedy that! This is definitely my kind of place! Thanks for sharing so much about the types of food! I love Italian ANYTHING! We studied on a tour all about the balsamic vinegar and then I bought a little, little, little bottle of the very, very, very old! stuff Every time I used it I winced and was very stingy with it! Ha! Aren’t there so many different pastas in Italy? We could do a post on nothing but pasta for weeks! Thanks for adding this great post again this week! I look forward to reading all your work! Cady
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I’ve never been to Spain, nor have I had authentic Spanish fare – so I am so glad to have a mini-tour from your post! That story about the original tapas being slices of bread to keep fruit flies away from the drinks is such a hilarious story – but as with many things, borne out of need!
Here is my contribution for this week:
https://touringmybackyard.wordpress.com/2021/03/22/satay-club/
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Isn’t this the reason we need to travel? Wonderful post and I learn so much about your food! I looked at the photo and thought what is the square white food! A new way for me to present rice! I will have to look up some peanut sauce recipes and try something similar! Thanks again for adding your food post…..we are loving it! Cady
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Thank you for delighting in the food with me, Cady!
The rice is actually packed tight and then steamed – so it’s more like a rice cake (although not as transformed as mochi).
The peanut sauce is my favourite part anyway – I love it as a dip with veggie sticks & tortilla chips.
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