Page 22 - DK Eyewitness Travel - Guides Ultimate Food Journeys

20 TAPAS AROUND THE WORLD

Below Bars groaning with tapas dishes Right (top to bottom) Gambas (shrimp)
welcome workers at the end of the day from the grill with, in the background,
all over Spain Bottom left Air-dried marinated artichokes; tapas are always
jamón serrano, one of Spain’s finest best shared, preferably with good red
delicacies, is often hung from the ceiling wine; a modern tapas bar in London

Tapas Around the World

Tapas distill all of Spanish cuisine bar. All the classics are available, as are dishes with a
into perfect little snacks, making modern twist, from shrimp in a spicy garlic sauce to
the nibbling of small savories while sushi-grade slices of fresh red tuna.
drinking into a casual feast. The
La Taberna del Gourmet expensive
Spanish penchant for two-bite dining
Calle San Fernando 10; www.latabernadelgourmet.com
and its associated conviviality has
The owners of this pioneer gastrobar are fanatical
swept the world, bringing Iberian about sourcing the best fish, vegetables, fruits, and
dishes along for the ride. meats and playing up the perfection of the produce.
Excellent tapas choices include a fresh tomato salad
with tuna belly or tempura-fried baby squid.
ALICANTE
El Cisne de Oro inexpensive
GRANADA
Calle César Elguezábal 23; www.elcisnedeoro.com
This tile-encrusted traditional bar with hams hanging Granada’s restaurants and bars offer Spain’s
overhead captures the tastes of both land and sea – most generous free tapas, making tapas-
slices of mountain ham sit alongside plates of white hopping an inexpensive way to dine. Dishes
anchovies in olive oil. The kitchen’s own pungent aïoli might escalate from potato salad to a small
enlivens both the potato salad and small rolls stuffed dish of stew as customers keep ordering drinks.
with pork and mushrooms.
Bar Casa Julio inexpensive
Nou Manolín Restaurante & Bar Calle Hermosa, just off Plaza Nueva (no telephone)
moderate There’s no telling just how old Casa Julio might be,
Calle Villegas 3; www.noumanolin.com but the jam-packed bar looks little changed from
One of the quintessential tapas spots, not just in the days before the Spanish Civil War. Specialty
Alicante but in all of Spain, Nou Manolín offers more tapas here include several variations on octopus
than 50 different tapas every day in the ground-level and squid – always best with red wine.

On the Menu as ground pork and is always strongly In northern Spain, it is filled with pork
flavored with Spanish paprika. fat, rice, and onions, but in central and
Albóndigas Meatballs that combine Croquetas These take many forms but southern Spain the filler usually includes
bread crumbs with pork, veal, lamb, most often feature minced cured ham or bread crumbs and almonds.
or some combination of meats. They poached tuna. In both cases, the filling is Patatas bravas Named for the Madrid
are served in either a brown sauce or a blended with béchamel sauce, rolled in bar that invented them, fried potatoes
tomato sauce. fine crumbs, and deep-fried in olive oil. served with a dip of paprika-laced aïoli (a
Almejas Clams served in the shells, often Gambas Shrimp or prawns (species can very garlicky, mayonnaise-like sauce).
steamed with wine, herbs, and vegetables. vary by season): served a la plancha, Pimientos rellenos Stuffed peppers:
Anchoas The small Spanish white they are grilled whole with the heads on; there are a number of varieties, the most
anchovies, usually lightly poached and gambas al ajillo are peeled shrimp that common being small triangular peppers
preserved in olive oil. are fried in olive oil with copious from the north (either green or red) filled
Berenjenas rebozadas A dish with North quantities of fresh garlic. with salt cod and whipped potato.
African origins, consisting of eggplant that Jamón serrano The air-dried mountain Queso manchego The famous aged
is salted, breaded, and fried in olive oil. hams seen hanging from the ceilings of sheep’s milk cheese of La Mancha, usually
Boquerones Anchovies, either canned in tapas bars, so concentrated and intense sliced very thin and served in triangles.
vinegar or fresh and deep-fried. that servings are sliced paper-thin. Tortilla española Perhaps the most
Chorizo A distinctive Spanish sausage Morcilla A blood sausage or black universal dish in Spain, a masterful
with many regional variations. It usually pudding. As a tapa, it is usually sliced, fried combination of fried potatoes baked into a
contains pieces of cured ham as well in olive oil, and served with toothpicks. thick omelet, sliced and often eaten cold.