Tapas
For many people, tapas equates to charcuterie, cheese, olives and tapenades with biscuits or bread. But what most people don't know is that tapas is so much more than that!
Tapas is basically just a word that refers to a small dish of food. This can be both hot and cold food, and the different types of tapas can vary greatly depending on which area of Spain you are in!
Tapas are typically eaten for lunch, and each person likes to order 2-3 pieces. Tapas are also something you'd rather share, so fill up the table and taste a bit of it all!
As a drink for tapas, we can recommend a wonderful, cold San Miguel beer or a good Spanish wine.
If you are new to the tapas universe, here at Elenas we would like to take you by the hand and introduce you to a few varieties!
We hope that after this guide you feel well equipped to either throw yourself into creating beautiful tapas tables with everything your heart desires, or that you know exactly what to order the next time you find yourself at a tapas bar under the beautiful Mediterranean sun.
Welcome from all of us at Elena's!
Ensalada rusa
A tapas you see in most places is ensalada rusa, which directly translates to Russian salad. This is a cold tapas that can remind you a little of the Danish potato salad, as the main ingredients are potato, mayonnaise, tuna and egg.
It's super easy to make and can keep well in the fridge for a few days! Eat it by itself or with bread, it's entirely up to you. Bon appetite!
Albondigas en salsa de almonds
This tapas is served warm and translates into meatballs in almond sauce. This tapas tastes nothing short of heavenly!
The meatballs are made a bit like the delicious round Italian meatballs in spaghetti, as breadcrumbs or dry bread soaked in milk are used, instead of wheat flour as in, for example, Danish meatballs.
The sauce is made by sautéing almonds, garlic and parsley in a pan, then blending it together with olive oil, white wine, dry bread and saffron.
Finally, the sauce is heated in a small saucepan and the fried meatballs are added, and the whole molevit is arranged in a Spanish clay dish, on a plate, in a bowl or whatever you want to serve it in. Feel free to sprinkle a bit of chopped parsley over it as a garnish. Yum!
Albondigas a tomato
Like the meatballs mentioned above, these meatballs are made somewhat like the Italian ones, and this version translates to meatballs in tomato.
The tomato sauce is super tasty with plenty of garlic and white wine! This tapas is also served hot, and is an easy dish to try for a beginner in the tapas kitchen! It is actually as easy to make as a batch of meat sauce. The meatballs are made in the same way as Albondigas en salsa de almendras and are simply added to the tomato sauce when they are finished cooking.
This tapas is served in the same way in a clay dish or similar, sprinkled with chopped parsley and enjoyed with relish. Yes, thank you and welcome!
Almejas
These clams are a very common food in Spain, Almejas are super delicate little clams with nice shells and a mild taste!
Almejas can be difficult to find in Denmark, but you may be lucky to find them at the fishmonger, where they go by the name heart mussels. They may be a bit spicy in price, but they are clearly worth it if you want to impress your guests with a bit of Spain!
They like to be eaten in pasta dishes, paella or on their own as a tapas, of course with plenty of garlic, parsley, white wine and olive oil on top! A good piece of bread is necessary so that you can dip it into the wonderful soup that is left on the plate. Wow a meal!
Mejillones
Also known as blue mussels, are lovely oval clams with beautiful orange flesh! In fact, it is the females of the blue mussels that have the deep orange-red color where the males are often more cream colored in it. They both taste heavenly!
In Spain, mussels are often served as tapas in tomato sauce, steamed in white wine or in a sour, vinegary sauce called escabeche!
You can also come across mejillones tigres , which are blue mussels made as a croqueta , (another Spanish tapas described below), where the mussel is removed from the shell, chopped and mixed with a thick bechamel sauce, put back in the shell, breaded and fried . Bon appetite!
Croquetas
Croquetas are a classic Spanish tapas, which are small oblong pieces of breaded, thick bechamel sauce with various ingredients added.
Typically you will find Croquetas de Jamon , which is with Spanish ham, Croquetas de atun , which is with tuna, or Croquetas de pollo , which is with chicken. But they come in a multitude of varieties!
They are super easy to make and are loved by both children and adults. Many mistakenly believe that Spanish croquetas are filled with mashed potatoes due to the consistency and similarity to French potato croquettes. But the Spanish croquetas are simply based on a very thick béchamel which, after cooling, is malleable and easy to roll in egg and breadcrumbs. They are then deep-fried and eaten as is!
Gambas al pil pil
Gambas al pil pil is one of those tapas dishes that many stare at when the waiter comes walking through the restaurant with them!
This dish is served in the iconic Spanish clay dishes, filled with bubbling hot oil, prawns, garlic and chilli! This tapas indulges all the senses, as it both smells heavenly, looks inviting and tastes like the angels are singing. Yum!
Gambas al pil pil is also quite easy to make at home, and you can typically buy the pre-mixed spice mixes at markets and the like throughout Spain. If you have a Spanish clay dish and a few prawns, your Gambas are all pil pil in the house!
Boquerones en vinagre
Boquerones are a tapas that can look a little scary if you are not used to eating fish, as they are like small whole fillets in vinaigrette. But if you venture into it, you will be rewarded with a heavenly mouthful of mild fish that is as soft as butter and almost melts in your mouth!
The fish are actually small anchovy fillets, but they taste neither sharp nor salty, just mild and sour due to the vinegar coating they are in. They are typically served on a small lunch plate and with toothpicks in, just for nibbling! Personally, it is one of my favorites on the tapas table. Bon appetite!
Salpicón
Salpicón is a wonderful, sour mix of almost everything good from the sea!
Typically, it consists of squid, mussels, prawns, onions and peppers cut into small pieces and marinated in a wonderful vinaigrette. In addition, you can also find variants with tuna or other fish in it, or other types of seafood such as crab meat or surimi (imitation crab meat). This tapas is super easy to make and many Spaniards make it with leftover seafood from the Sunday family lunch. You can even pair it with canned seafood!
With us you will find, among other things, mussels and squid in cans and glasses. These are perfect for Salpicón ! Simply add cooked prawns, onions and peppers as well as copious amounts of white wine vinegar and olive oil. Refrigerate for 2 hours and enjoy!
Pulpo a la gallega
This wonderful tapas from Galicia is based on squid and potatoes, which are bathed in olive oil and sprinkled with delicious Spanish paprika!
You can easily make this tapas at home and it tastes heavenly! If you can get hold of a frozen squid, it is obvious as the freezing makes the meat super tender, just as it should be. Traditionally, the octopuses were pounded against a large rock or rock to make them tender, but freezing them gives the same result! And a little more practical.
The squid is boiled for half an hour (depending on the size) and cut into thin, delicate slices. It is served on a plate of half-thick slices of boiled potato, and plenty of good quality Spanish olive oil is poured over it. Finally sprinkle it with salt and a mix of sweet and strong Spanish paprika. Yum, welcome!
Spanish tortilla
The world famous Spanish omelette! What makes it so popular is that it has a good thickness, mild flavor and is filled with soft, boiled potatoes. It's perfect for lunch!
It is typically served as is, cut into a small triangle like a piece of cake, but you can also get sandwiches with tortillas in them, called Bocadillo de tortilla .
It is made by frying thin slices of raw potatoes with chopped onion, which are fried until tender and then adding copious amounts of beaten eggs, which are fried in olive oil without stirring until deliciously golden. It is carefully poured onto a plate, the pan is turned upside down and the whole thing is turned over once more so that it can be fried on both sides without breaking. It is enjoyed chilled as a wonderful little tapas. Bon appetite!
Empanadas
Empanadas are wonderful little pockets of puff pastry with countless options for filling! For example, it can be tuna and tomato sauce, minced meat with garlic and paprika, cheese and ham or rabbit and aniseed! Traditionally, this dish comes from Galicia, and here they also make countless variations with fish and shellfish such as cod, prawns or mussels. Limited only by imagination!
They are extra easy to put together in everyday life if you buy a roll of ready-made puff pastry. In this way, you can easily incorporate tapas into your everyday life, for example as a packed lunch for the children! They can also be frozen and taken out as needed. Empanadas are a great thing to have on hand!
Chorizo
The fantastic Spanish Chorizo sausage is beautiful red in color and super tasty! It is made with pork and seasoned with smoked Spanish paprika, either sweet or hot. It is the paprika that gives the iconic color and delicious, smoky taste!
Chorizo can be eaten cold, cut into thin slices, as a topping in delicious flutes or hot fried in plenty of olive oil. There are also many wonderful Spanish dishes where chorizo is included as an ingredient, for example the delicious Spanish green lentil soup with potatoes, thick slices of bacon and chorizo. It's a great meal!
No matter how you choose to eat the wonderful sausage, you will definitely love it! Here at Elenas you will find many varieties of Chorizo , for example both strong and mild, Chorizo made with Iberico meat or even wild boar! Welcome from us!
Serrano or Iberico ham
Spanish ham is for many a must-have classic tapas, and this is also absolutely correct!
Serrano is typically cut into long, thin slices and tastes mild, slightly smoky and salty, very similar to Italian Parma ham. Iberico is stronger in taste, it is so unique and fantastic that it is best just eaten as it is, cut into thin slices a few cm wide that melt on the tongue!
What makes Iberico special is that it is made on the legs of the special Iberian pig, which is a small brown breed of pig that is fed partly or exclusively on acorns, depending on the quality of the ham. Paleta refers to the front leg of the pig and Jamon is the whole hind leg with lots of meat on it!
Here at Elenas you can buy both whole hams or sliced ham in all qualities, everything from Duroc to blackfoot! Under the category Iberico in our menu here on the website, you can read much more about Iberico ham, what makes it so special and see our large selection. You will not regret!
Manchego cheese
The Manchego cheese is the largest and best-known cheese in Spain, it originates from the La Mancha region in central Spain and is produced exclusively from milk from the "Manchega" sheep breed. It is a firm cheese that is stored in a round shape with a herringbone pattern on the crust. The taste is sweet and relatively mild, with slightly piquant undertones depending on storage time and a wonderful nutty finish. It is cut into small triangles and typically served together with beautiful slices of Iberico or Serrano ham as a fantastic tasty tapas combination! A nice glass of Spanish wine or a cold beer goes with this, of course. Nothing short of amazing!
As you can see, tapas is a vast universe of flavors, traditions and ingredients!
If you feel inspired, please check out our large range of Spanish delicacies and ingredients. Our aim is to give you the taste of holiday, and we promise you that you will find plenty of wonderful ingredients to create wonderful, tasty Spanish dishes, such as tapas.
Salud y buen provecho!