The Spanish Tourist Office in Dublin has joined in celebrating World Tapas Day with promotional activities programmed around this essential product of Spanish cuisine. The activities programmed for this first edition of the World Tapas Day include tapas tastings, culinary presentations, cookery demonstrations, seminars and presentations to public and the media.
The aim is to create a worldwide event that highlights the tapa as a hallmark of Spanish cuisine and distinctive attribute of Spain as a destination. The tapa is a hallmark of Spain, both for its unique design, small and varied portions, as well as for how it is consumed, usually standing and sharing the same plate.
In every town and city in Spain there are bars and pubs – sometimes even whole neighbourhoods – specialising in tapas. Another advantage of eating tapas is that they enable you to sample a different selection of local dishes in each region of Spain. These delicious combinations of miniature culinary delights cater to all tastes and budgets.
More than just food tourism, it is a means of discovering towns and cities by exploring the culture that is revealed in their kitchens – because in Spain, good food is a way of life.
Gastronomy is an essential element of tourism in Spain. The term ‘Tapa’ itself is a concept that identifies Spain internationally. Food in Spain is not simply food – it is a combination of cooking styles shaped by regional differences, traditions and customs. Spanish gastronomy is up there with the most renowned of food cultures in the world.