Of course I haven’t tried it all, in fact I have only scratched the surface. Tapas is regional so you will find different variations as you travel through different areas of Spain.

I mainly travelled in the Province of Granada on the Costa Tropical. This beautiful coastline is very Spanish, and what I mean is this part of the coast is mostly visited by the Spanish themselves. Unlike the Costa del Sol where you can find fish & chips, British pubs and all day English breakfasts, the Costa Tropical is all about tapas bars where the tapas comes free (!) with every drink.

There is much more the tapas then the classics we know and love in the UK like patatas bravas, so many different styles and dishes and there is pork…lots of pork!

In at number one for simple tapas is manchego cheese and Iberico ham. Don’t get me wrong both are delicious but after a few weeks the novelty wears off and you see so much of the stuff you start to push it away when it lands on your table, even when the plate has been liven up with a few slices of chorizo. One thing that can be said for the cheese is it comes drizzled in olive oil and given a sprinkling of the most flavourful dried oregano.

There are several ingredients that make a regular appearance in lots of Granadian tapas, pork, chickpeas, green pepper, potato and tuna (the canned kind). Yes the Spanish in general don’t look down their noses at canned products and to be honest I understand where they are coming from. You can make a pretty nice plate of tapas straight from the can…think olives, roasted peppers, etc.

Potato salads turn up on a regular basis, in mayonnaise with diced green pepper, sweetcorn and that much needed meat content usually tiny bits of diced ham or of course tuna.

Yes most dishes must have some form of meat in them  The Spanish don’t really get the concept of the vegetarian…hold on, I’m being unfair because travelling with a veggie you do need to explain to the bar or restaurant that you don’t eat meat. They usually give an understanding nod and then offer you fish, when you tell them no fish they can start to look quizzical and on more than one occasion they have simply asked “Chicken?”…

Once they get their heads round the concept of not eating something with a face they will go out of their way to make something delicious and flesh free.

I, on the other hand, am happy to tuck into anything from land, sea or air. At a big food fiesta I had sliced Iberico pork simply fried and served with lemon, and was very excited to be introduced to the local black pudding which was incredibly rich compare to its British cousin and had a much welcome kick of chilli heat which crept in as you chewed away.

Speaking of which, they do some wonderful sausages in Spain so don’t just stick chorizo, give some of the much less known ones a go.

Fish is abundant and always makes me smile when it turns up with a cold beer. Whether simply fried in a crisp light batter or grilled, fresh fish is always a treat. It always surprises me that in UK we don’t seem to grill enough fish, which is a shame because it really does bring out the full flavour.

They sometimes serve it with fried cornmeal which has the odd white bean in there and some garlic.

This works wonderfully with anchovy, as it is usually pretty unseasoned, but when eaten together the salty fish gives it the lift it needs.

I have to say my absolute favourite are the stews. Intense, rich little bowls of stew flavoured with paprika, green peppers and garlic served with some bread are just so tasty and moreish you just wish for a bigger bowl.

Mostly these stews are made with the ubiquitous pork, slow cooked until the pieces take on all the flavours and fall apart in your mouth. I did have an amazing bull stew too, which was just divine. It was a very rich beef broth with thyme, bay and a heavy seasoning of salt, with pieces of said bull and a few chickpeas thrown in for good measure.

If you are really lucky you might even be given some prawn pil pil, succulent prawns brought to the table with a great deal of theatre, sizzling and smoking in olive oil which is heavily laced with garlic and given a hit of chilli.

This is so simple and defiantly one dish I will be making again and again.

As you can see tapas really is an adventure and the key to it all is simplicity. In the best traditions of Mediterranean cuisine the Spanish use fresh local quality produce matched other simple ingredients to make something that tastes more than the sum of its parts.

It is unpretentious, it means fun, friends and a few drinks, it makes you feel happy and it’s all about sharing. Tapas is something that should bring you together and make you leave having been a part of a taste experience.

Sitting here writing this in grey London town I wish someone would serve me up a plate, even if it is just a few pieces of Spain’s delectable cheese and ham.

Remember to share in the comments below your experience of tapas in Spain or tell us your favourite tapas dish!

Michael Robinson

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The Food Curator

The Food Curator (AKA Michael Robinson) is an aficionado of all things food and bon viveur based in London. A passion for cooking and dining has driven him to put fingers to keyboard to bring you his thoughts on the world of food. When not writing, eating or cooking he has a love of American muscle cars. Pop on over to my Facebook page and let's start a Facebook food revolution together: http://tinyurl.com/thefoodcurator

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