TASTING TAPAS IN SENSATIONAL SEVILLE

A tapas bar in Seville

Eating tapas in Seville isn´t like going to lunch at a restaurant.  A tapa outing is an
evento governed by a protocol of its own, almost always taking place “standing at the Bar”

by Margaux Cintrano
Photos submitted by M. Cintrano unless stated otherwise

Seville´s interpretation of food as an essentially social phenomenon is what makes Seville one of the supreme exponents of the tapa.  It has created an art form with rules and ingredients all its own.

Panoramic view of Seville

Eating tapas is an integral part of everyday life and one that nourishes not only the physical person but human relationships in general.

Spices in an Arab souk

Tapas recipes are redolent of the several cultures that have left their gastronomic mark on Seville down the centuries, from the Roman taste for sausages to the Arabic Moors´refined use of spices.

The result:  Mediterranean in character, while still remaining true to their defining Andalusian roots and flamenco spirit.

Casa Sista, Andalusian restaurant announcing tapas and other local products

The religious processions, which take place in Seville during Holy Week, the city´s big Spring festival, follow a set route punctuated by stops, symbolic of  “via Crucis” or Way of the Cross.

The verb “tapear” signifies to eat tapas and “el tapeo” is the noun  form of this activity.

Seville´s tapas are the producto of a subsistence economy that has had to rely heavily on creativity.

Croquetas and papas fritas: Andalusian ingenuity lends itself so well to mixing leftovers perked up with fresh ingredients

Creating a new dish out of leftovers is a skill that springs from humble origins and it is in this kind of ingenuity that Andalusia´s tapas originate.  Croquettes made from yesterday´s salt cod or meat, chickpeas left over from a Cocido (stew) are perked up with fresh spinach leaves and bacon served on toast to make pringá and asparagus sliced and served in scrambled eggs. Little dishes may, however, exemplify clever combinations of culinary techniques and ingredients of diverse origins, called cultural eclecticism.

Paella served as tapa

Eating tapas in Seville isn´t like going to lunch at a restaurant.  A tapa outing is an evento governed by a protocol of its own.

It is more of a daily ritual carried out alone, with a dear one, with family or in a group and must almost always take place “standing at the Bar”.

SEVILLE’S TAPAS GUIDE

Bodega Góngora
Centro – Sierpes
Specialty: Cazón en adobo

Bodega  Belmonte
Mateos Gago # 24
Specialty:  Tortillita de camarones

Sol y Sombra
Triana # 151
Specialty:  Punta de Solomillo

Casa Antonio Los Caracoles
Perez Galdos # 13
Specialty: Cabrillas y Caracoles

El Rinconcillo
Gerona # 40
Specialty:  Pavías de bacalao

Casablanca
Zaragoza # 20
Specialty: Garbanzos y espinacas

Casa Román
Plaza de los Venerables #  1
Specialty:  Charcuterie

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Images
Featured image/Henry Lawford, CC BY2.0 via Flickr
Quote mark/Oakusr3, CC BY-SA4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Arab spices/Ankur Panchbudhe, CC BY2.0 via Flickr
Croquetas and papas fritas/F Delventhal, CC BY2.0 via Flickr, cropped and vignette-shadowed
Casa Sista/F Delventhal, CC BY2.0 via Flickr
Tapa in “Seville’s Tapas Guide”/Enrique Sámchez as submitted by M. Cintrano
Tapas and wine in “Seville’s Tapas Guide”/Antonio Zugaldia, CC BY2.0 via Flickr