Spain is recognized in the world for “flamenco”, bulls, “paellas” and “tapas” (and Barcelona in this last point does not escape the rule). But we know very well that this is a very limited view of reality: Spain is much richer and more diverse than just these four elements. In a country of little more than 505 thousand square kilometers, diverse traditions, languages, identities and cultures coexist that make the experience of knowing the true Spain much more interesting.
But of one of these four characteristic elements, we can say that it is a national good: “tapas”.
“Going out” or “going for tapas” is such a Spanish custom that it goes through the country in any direction. Obviously, there are differences according to the regions. You don’t have the same experience everywhere and, of course, “tapas” in Barcelona have their characteristics … but we’ll get to that.
Let’s start first by defining what a “tapa” is. Because although everyone who visits this country is looking to “eat tapas”, it often happens that they do not know for sure exactly what it is.
Well, it is very simple: the “tapa” is an aperitif that accompanies the drink, which may or may not be alcoholic. This appetizer can range from some olives, a slice of ham or a wedge of cheese to a plate of potatoes or croquettes to share.
The action of going to a bar, ordering a drink that will come with a “tapa”, leaving that bar and going to the next one to repeat with another glass and another “tapa”, and so on until you get tired (or have had too many drinks, whichever comes first), is basically “going for tapas” (“ir de tapas” in spanish).
A custom that is deeply rooted and that many locals enjoy with friends or family. It is also a good way to meet people and eat out without spending too much.
WHY THE NAME “TAPA”?
To trace the origin of “tapas” and its name, you have to travel back in time. But how much do you have to go back? That is not so clear, because the origin has so many versions that we can locate it both in the thirteenth century, as well as in the sixteenth or nineteenth centuries. And the reality is that the appearance of the word “tapa” in its culinary sense in the RAE (Real Academia Española) Dictionary was only during the 20th century.
The modern concept of “tapas” is likely to have been born out of food shortages after the Spanish Civil War, but that does not deny that they have been part of the gastronomic history of these lands throughout the centuries, long before the nineteen hundreds.
Through the oral tradition we have received different stories that tell us about the birth of the “tapa” and that are already part of popular culture.
The first takes place in the middle of the 13th century. The king of Castile, Alfonso X el Sabio (no, he was not an X-Men), had an ailment that had to be treated with sips of wine (it sounds much better than taking pills, doesn’t it?). The point is that, to avoid the effects of alcohol, the king took small bites accompanying the drink. The treatment had positive results and, having recovered, Alfonso X arranged for wine to be served with a small portion of food in all the taverns of his kingdom. A portion that helped “cover” (in spanish “to cover” is “tapar”) the effects of wine on consumers.
ANOTHER VERSION OF THE BIRTH OF THE “TAPA”
Version number two: now it is the turn of the Spanish Catholic Kings, the famous Fernando de Aragón and Isabel de Castile.
In times of their reigns, a recurring problem was that of the cart drivers who collided or generated a variety of incidents at the exit of the taverns for having drunk a little too much. As a measure to avoid these nuisances, the tavern keepers were forced to serve a “tapa” with wine or beer. Why the name? Because that small portion of cheese, ham or whatever should be served on a small plate that covered the top of the glass. The client had to eat the “tapa ” first, and then take the lid off his glass and drink its contents, without having an empty stomach.
THESE THINGS ALWAYS COME IN THREES
The following version is attributed, with some variations, to two kings separated by almost four centuries. Both take place in Cádiz and relate very similar situations.
The oldest story is played, again, by Fernando de Aragón. On his journey, he stopped with Queen Isabel at a hostel. There was a lot of wind that day, “east wind”, and the king asked that his cup be covered with a slice of some sausage so that the sand did not enter his glass. The tavern keeper covered it with cheese and, handing it to the king, said: “Here is your “tapa”, Your Majesty.” Voilá! The “tapa” was created.
However, another story tells something very similar but with King Alfonso XIII, at the end of the 19th century. The stage is again, Cádiz. It seems that the king wanted to have a sherry wine and stopped with his entourage at a “meson” (some version says that the “meson” still exists and is the “Ventorrillo del Chato”). The winds from Cádiz made an appearance again, but this time it was the tavern keeper who had, all by himself, the great idea of covering the glass to prevent sand or dust from entering into it. He used a slice of ham and delivered the “covered” drink to the king. Alfonso XIII liked the idea so much that he ate the “cover” or “tapa”, and repeated the request.
All of these stories are legends. But all agree that the “tapa” arises as a need to cover the drink or that it is an aid to alcohol consumption. The most curious thing is that in all of them, the kings are the protagonists and those who validate their existence.
ENOUGH LEGENDS
The reality is that already in the 18th century there are records of the use of stale bread or small plates with food to cover the glasses. And most likely, this practice had to do with a kind of “hygiene”: doing so protected the drink from dust or insects.
Another practical origin of the cover has to do with the interests of the tavern keepers. By putting a salty snack next to the drink, the customer would surely have another drink to quench their thirst.
Whatever birth, so difficult to trace in time, today the “tapa” is a sign of identity.
Of those first slices of sausages or cheeses, today we can also enjoy hot tapas that include omelets (the famous “tortilla”), croquettes or squid “a la romana”.
And they admit any setting: from smaller or traditional taverns or bars, through haute cuisine to banquets of the Spanish Court.
If you are in Spain, tapas is almost an obligation. A delicious obligation.
OUT FOR “TAPAS” IN BARCELONA
In some areas, such as Almería or Granada, the “tapa” is free. When ordering your drink, they always put you some “tapas” with it, to taste. You only pay for the drink and, we could say, you eat for free!
But here in Barcelona (and for that matter, in Catalonia), this is not the rule for “tapas”. There are very few places where this occurs. In general, you go to a bar, ask for your drink and some tapas to share, which has its price, of course.
And another detail. In Madrid, for example, the ritual of “going for tapas” is carried out to the letter: a bar, drink and “tapas”; then another bar, with its respective drink and its “tapa” … and so on until the bars are closed … or the money gone … or the friends who invite when the money runs out.
But for Barcelona, this is not so exact. When we meet friends to eat “tapas”, we usually go to a bar or tavern that we like, and right there we drink and eat everything we want. It could be said that it is a little more “sedentary”: the itinerant life of “tapas” is lost a bit.
Touring Spain “tapeando” can be a very rewarding experience. In each corner of this country you can discover a different way of “ir de tapas”, but it is also the best excuse to get to know its people, its culture, the products of its land, enjoying incredible flavors. And always, at a very good price. So, shall we go for “tapas”?
Winter is usually the low season for Barcelona (but not for calçots!).You can feel it in its streets and especially on its beaches. We know that we all like to travel in the summer, when it’s hot, especially if our destination is on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea. In those days, Barcelona overflows with people of all nationalities, speaking all possible languages, filling every corner of the city.
But from November the landscape changes, and so does Barna’s rhythm. The city feels more “local” and, although it’s beginning to get colder, it is a pleasure to get lost in the streets of this city that always has something to offer to those who want to know it.
For those winter adventurers, there is a gastronomic surprise that only, and I emphasize ONLY can be enjoyed when it is cold. A very Catalan tradition, which has become a ritual and that you must try if you are in Barcelona: the calçots!
From November to the end of April we are lucky to be able to gobble down a good “calçotada”. The ideal plan: get out of Barcelona, and in one of the typical farmhouses, called “masias”, found throughout Catalonia, savor this delicacy. You will find that these places are full of locals that usually share this feast with friends and family; and as it is full, it’s always good to book in advance because demand is high, especially on weekends.
NOW WHAT IS A CALÇOT?
It is a type of sweet onion, with a little bulb. It has an elongated shape and this is due to the peculiar form of cultivation that is used to obtain it.
It all starts in late fall and early winter, when the seed is planted. The variety that is most popular is the “large Lérida onion”.
When June arrives, the cultivation will be finished. Result: a white onion. Hence, the next step is to remove it from the soil and let its leaves and roots dry. What we will have is the bulb. And it is from these bulbs that the calçots will be born, that we can enjoy in almost all the restaurants in Barcelona. Or at home, of course.
Therefore, the bulb is planted between August and October and allowed to grow. When the new shoots are obtained, it is time to apply the technique that gives them their name: they are “wedged” (in spanish the word is “calza”; in catalan “calça”). What does this mean?. Well, it’s very simple. Soil is placed around the base to whiten those outbreaks. This is repeated about three or four times, with the aim of lengthening the white part of the onion, until it reaches about 15 or 20 centimeters long. For each bulb you can get between 4 and 12 calçots.
Harvesting is fast and occurs between January and March, approximately.
AN BUMPY START
One of the most widespread versions of the origin of “calçot” as food, takes place in the 19th century. It is said that a peasant from Valls, in the province of Tarragona, named Xat de Benaiges put the onions on the grill, but they burned. Instead of throwing them away, he discovered that by removing the charred exterior, a tender and very tasty delicacy was hidden inside.
TODAY, EATING CALÇOTS IS A WONDERFUL RITUAL.
The menu of a “calçotada”, as God commands, includes the “calçots” themselves, as the fist course (it could not be otherwise). They are cooked in the living flame, made with vine branch wood.
They arrive at the table served on tiles and accompanied by two sauces: the “salvitxada” and the “romesco” sauce. They are often confused because they share ingredients, such as toast bread, almonds, oil, or garlic. Anyway, both are incredible and are the perfect accompaniment.
Now, let’s eat! And here neither knives nor forks are worth. Hands are our best allies. You have to remove all the burned layer that covers the “calçot”, then dip it in the sauce, lift it over your head, open your mouth … and be happy. It is logical that, with such a technique, a lot of sauce ends up on our bibs.
For this reason, a fundamental element, which they will give you in any restaurant you go to eat, is a giant “bib”: it protects our clothes and allows us to be free to eat without worries.
Once the first part is finished, in which you can eat about 20 “calçots” per person, the second dish arrives. Hands washed and meat at the table: there is never a shortage of “butifarras” (the catalonian sausages), but there can also be different cuts of pork, veal and other sausages. These meats are cooked with the embers that were left after the “calçots” were cooked.
And all well accompanied by local wines or a good cava. Nothing more Catalan than this!
So now you know: if your trip to Barcelona finds you in the dead of winter, don’t forget to make a place on your agenda for some “calçots”: it is not only about eating delicious food, it is also taking part in a tradition that is alive and healthy.
XIII century Barcelona was a booming city. Of the 5,000 inhabitants that were there in Roman times, the medieval city of Barcelona came to have about 40,000 approximately. This, not counting the visitors who were passing through. Or those that did not get to be registered.
Many of the latter lived on the edge of the Ribera neighborhood with the sea: a more depressed area and center of marine life.
This sector, which was known as “La Marina”, was also the place of residence of outsiders who did not live in the best conditions: without work, without family and many times they were not counted in the city censuses.
To live, these people would resort to theft, of small things, in order to get some money to eat. Salvation came if he managed to be recruited as part of a crew, among the ships that arrived and left the port of Barcelona.
Now what could they buy with those few coins? What kind of food? That’s when the title of our article comes in:
The “Malcuinat”.
The translation of this word would be “badly cooked”. As you notice, the word tells us everything. We can assure you that it was not the best gastronomic offer in the city, nothing to do with what we like to show you on our channel.
What was it about? Basically, it was a kind of stew made with the remains of what is not usually chosen to eat. Meal leftovers, guts, bones and the worst pieces of meat. It was also commonly called cap i pota (this means in catalan, “the head and the leg”).
To be able to get a “malcuinat” dish, it was enough to go to one of the “casquería” stalls, where this stew was sold. There were so many of these stops that in 1375 the sale of meat was banned in some areas of the city.
Imagine the scene: sidewalks or small stalls on the streets of Barcelona, and very humble and hungry people queuing up to gobble up a little of that “malcuinat”.
There are records that it was sold, for example, in the Carrer dels Capellans, a few meters from the Cathedral; also in the Carrer de les Freixures, supplied by the market that used to be in the Placa de l’Angel (where the Jaume I metro station is today) and in a small street, that we usually walk through a lot, very close to Santa María del Mar.
The name remains: it is the Carrer del Malcuinat, and it is just outside the Fossar de les Moreres. Walking through there we can imagine these very poor people, living between the city and the sea, next to the port, and passing through that street to eat, at least, something that helps to tackle the hunger.
Source: “Historias de la historia de Barcelona” – Dani Cortijo
In the heart of Carrer Mercé in the Gothic Quarter, is Tasca El Corral (Carrer de la Mercé 17), a tavern where tapas full of flavor and one of the best priced homemade vermouths at in Barcelona, are the protagonists.
WINTER NIGHT IN BARCELONA
We did this visit on a typical Catalan winter night, with the desire to go out and eat something delicious in the Old Town of the city.
If we think about it, there’s no better plan than to get to TASCA EL CORRAL, in the Gothic Quarter, on Carrer Mercé. A place that never fails, where you always feel welcome and there is a guarantee of good drinking and eating.
It is enough to arrive at its door (rather a gate) of heavy and dark wood, and to see through the windows a tavern that seems to travel back in time, to realize that it is a place to know and try. And it’s not just an aesthetic issue: Tasca El Corral has been part of this street and the neighborhood for more than 40 years.
Its walls demonstrate it: they are full of old images, pennants, decorated plates and curious objects, which give it a warmth and a more than special atmosphere. An environment that is embedded in the traditions when it is revealed to us with hams hanging from the ceiling, or with the bar covered by cheeses, olives, sausages… and how could it be otherwise, surrounded by a good variety of bottles.
We only have to find a table, sit on its very rustic wooden benches (which are not the most comfortable and firm you can find), and start enjoying.
A VERMOUTH?
And of course, the initial order must be the Vermouth.
Ordering a glass, or why not, a whole bottle, you will notice three things that will make you happy. First, that the Tasca el Corral vermouth is homemade, second that it is delicious … and third that it is at a very good price !!
Of course, if you are more of a beer o wine person, here you can order whatever you want. In this bar, alcohol is not lacking, and the atmosphere begins to take shape.
There is something you will ever find in this place: groups of friends meeting and having a great time.
The place is a big “L” and in its second part, after the bathroom, is where the room with the most tables is located. You will see that these are long and spacious, so they invite memorable meetings.
If the place is full you can you can share the table with others: it is a great opportunity to meet new people while enjoying the music of a group of artists, who often play and sing to have fun and delight everyone present.
So in this bar it is not strange to be surrounded by celebrations, birthdays, bachelor parties or any event that brings together people who want to have fun and toast. And since we are talking about toasting, other drinks that regulars enjoy around these tables are “Leche de pantera” (we can translate this as “panther milk”) or poured cider, something very typical of Asturias, but also enjoyed in these lands.
Pink Panther
If you are wondering at the moment what Panther Milk is, here are some facts.
It is a very Spanish cocktail, famous in the 70s, that contains two basic and main ingredients that are milk and gin, although some can use condensed milk to make it thicker and interesting.
There are varieties that also include, egg white and cinnamon, and in reality, most of the bars that serve this drink have their own recipe.
Here, in Tasca El Corral, a very pink one is served, which makes us think more about the mythical cartoon. Unlike this one, this pink panther is not suitable for children!
AND NOW LET’S EAT
Once the vermouth has arrived at the table, now we only have to order the food.
On the menu you will see that you can choose between a variety of hot or cold tapas (Iberian ham, a variety of cheeses, the inevitable “tortilla”/omelette, “morcilla”, chorizo and more) and “torradas” (Pagés bread toast with different ingredients, such as tuna, anchovies, cheeses, peppers, etc.).
We made our minds quite quickly, and we asked for some classics: “chorizo a la diabla” (like a devil´s chorizo), “tortilla” and two “Catalans” who can never miss: tapa of fuet and bread with tomato!
If you are one of those who want to know a little more, be sure to click on the Fuet and the Bread with Tomatoes, to have more info.
The dishes were arriving at the table, and the scents and flavors conquered us with speed and without effort. The softness of the warm and juicy “tortilla”, the Catalan fuet that never disappoints (well, at least it never disappointed us in Tasca el Corral), the bread, which always goes perfectly… but the one that most impacts, without a doubt, is the “chorizo a la diabla”.
The simple ritual of lighting the fire and burning it on the table is already tempting. With patience, the chorizo is moved with a knife to ensure that the alcohol evaporates and the product absorbs all the flavor. It is crispy on the outside, the aroma is incredible and its intense flavor is something you can not stop trying.
YOUNG AND VERY GOOD VIBRA ENVIRONMENT
Everything that happens in Tasca El Corral has good energy, a nice vibe: from the staff that attends you, friendly and always well-prepared, to the customers, who are always having a good time.
Even the doors of the services speak of the connection between the bar and its visitors. When you get closer you will see that they are covered with passport photos of everyone who passes by. So if you want to leave your mark in this place, do not hesitate to bring yours.
And when paying at the bar, even tips are fun: you have to put the coins in an old shoe, which hangs on the wall behind the bar. Something a little bit difficult to overcome after drinking as it should at Tasca El Corral.
If you want to enjoy this Barcelona classic, we leave you with their details:
Tasca El Corral is located in the Gothic Quarter, the birth area of Barcelona and today the city’s mandatory tourist center. And the street is Carrer de la Mercè, which has a lot of life, more than anything nightlife.
It is a street to take into account because it has a varied offer of bars and restaurants, which make it a very good destination for those who are looking for a little bustle at Barna nights.
The name comes from the old neighborhood of La Mercè, so called because it contained the convent of the same name, whose church would later become a parish.
The first convent of the Order of Mercè was installed in the mid-13th century (where the General Captaincy is today); and today we can see the church, which had just been built during the 18th century with its dome topped with the image of the Virgen de la Mercè (iconic element of the Barcelona skyline) very close to Tasca el Corral.
An interesting fact for moviegoers: the film “The Perfum” was filmed mostly in Barcelona and Plaça de la Mercèwas one of its stages; that is where the protagonist, Jean-Baptiste, was born, under the counter selling the fish from the Parisian market Rue aux Fers.
The streets of the neighborhood knew to be one of the areas of residence of the Barcelona aristocracy during the 18th century, and some of the buildings in the area are testimony to this.
If you like architecture a lot, and you are walking around the neighborhood, we leave you this information: walk to Carrer Ample (the first street parallel to carrer de la Mercè, towards the mountain) and look at number 28 for the Palacio Sessa-Larrard, built between 1772-1778 by the architect Josep Rivas i Margarit..
At that time, it became the home for the Viceroy of Catalonia and Duke of Sessa. The second name, Larrard, will arrive when the building was bought by Joan de Larrard, in 1799, wealthy banker and consul of Denmark. Today it is a school, but its presence tells us that in those years, this wide street (hence its name) was the place where mansions and palaces of the wealthiest families in the city were built.
And this is our article on Tasca el Corral. We hope that we have awakened the desire to try what these people have to offer, that the information we leave you will help you visit this fantastic place and that you tell us about your experience when trying their tapas and drinks.
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