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WHERE TO EAT

Going for Tapas

Although there are excellent restaurants in Seville offering all types of Andalusian specialties as well as national and international cuisine, Sevillian gastronomy's true identity lies in tapeo (snacking in bars) or dishes of hors d'oeuvres. Its tradition in the city and throughout the province and consists of going out with friends to "tapear" at midday while having a beer or at around dinner time.

Although tapas exist in all of Spain, Sevillian traits are most particular due to the ritual and cultural character that go in hand.

The most common theory about the origins of the tapa is that it derived from a custom of covering (tapando) the wine glass with a piece of bread and pork, this way serving both at the same time.

In order to really get to know authentic Sevillian cuisine, one must try the ample and varied assortment of tapas offered in bars and taverns. Although even small grocery shops may serve pork tapas when they don't even offer cooked food. This is also true in certain kiosks and old taverns that sell picadillos (minced meat) or aliños (various seasoned meats), ensaladillas (version of Russian potato salad), papas aliñás (seasoned potatoes), tortilla de patatas (Spanish potato omelet) and lomo mechado (loin strips).

Bars in Seville specialize in a great variety of tapas. Some places even go as far as inventing new variations of original recipes.

Although the list of tapas can go on forever, the most common ones are the above mentioned picadillos o aliños varios, ensaladillas, papas aliñás, the tortilla de patatas and lomo mechado.

One must add the unending list of aliños (seasoned foods): melva (blue fish) , pulpo (octopus), pimientos (peppers), huevas de pescado (fish eggs - roe)… including "papas aliñás"(potato). Other popular cold dishes include adding olives which are prepared many different ways.

Assortments of fried fish such as boquerones (anchovies), puntillitas (small squid), cazón en adobo (dogfish) are also very popular tapas.

Other important tapas consist of cuchareos (stews), small casseroles of stews of the day potaje de chícharos, garbanzos con bacalao, papas con chocos, espinacas.

Los montaditos a type of small toasted roll-sandwich usually filled with morcilla (blood sausage), chorizo picante (spicy sausage) or even the typical pringá (meat from cocido dish) from cocido (stew of meat, bacon, chickpeas, etc.), as well as other ingredients such as palometa (harvestfish) and queso (cheese), jamón iberico (expensive cured ham), lomo (pork), roquefort cheese, carne mechá (broiled beef), "capotes"... are other tasty tapas worth trying.

Under the hot (heated) tapa category the king is the pincho moruno. Known also as "pinchitos", this typical andalusí snack is a mixture of a series of spices that season marinated pieces of chicken or pork.

Between glasses of wine or beer, we suggest a flamenquín (ham stuffed breaded/fried meat rolls) or a favorite, "soldaditos de pavía" (hake or cod breaded with a flour; the name is derived from the color of the uniforms used by soldiers – soladados, who won the Battle of Pavía)

A curious note is to listen to Sevillian waiters recite the list of tapas, an ideal substitute to those listed on menus or blackboards.

Tapeo (going out for tapas), is not just an eating and drinking act, instead it constitutes a social act. Bars and terraces that serve them are the preferred spots for the locals to savor these small and varied dishes.

A tapa's best ally is a Sherry wine; a manzanilla sherry or a amontillado (pale dry sherry), although the warm climate of Seville recommends a cold beer.

Seville has thousands of bars which offer exquisite tapas.

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