Tapas

Tapas is a wonderful culinary tradition which allows you to sample a variety of flavours in a single setting and it’s a very sociable and informal way of dining with friends.

There’s a certain art to tapas too: deciding how many dishes will satisfy depending on whether you’re peckish, hungry or downright starving; getting a nice balance of flavours and ingredients and, not least, identifying the ‘tapas type’ that your friends fall into…

‘The Devourer’ – gets through dishes at a rate of knots. Phrases such as “pleasant aftertaste” and “lingers in the mouth” giving way to “who ate all the pies”.
‘The Hogger’ – discovers one particular dish that tickles their fancy and you have to physically move the plate from their vicinity if you’re to get a look-in.
‘The Vicar’ – waits patiently until everyone else has had a try before taking the most miniscule of portions onto their plate and never, never takes the last prawn; this is my favourite tapas dining companion.

In June’s issue of Living Tenerife, Jack lifts the lid on tapas; from its pungent origins and the influences that have developed it, to its ‘nouveau cuisine’ rise to popularity in trendy restaurants all over Europe.