Tapas go back a long way in Spanish history. Some argue they were an invention of Spanish King Alfonso X ‘The Wise’, who took small portions of food with a glass of wine between meals. The more widely accepted theory is that tapas originated as a snack for field workers during the long hours between breakfast and lunchtime. Wine was also served in a ceramic jug covered with a piece of bread and some Serrano ham or cheese to prevent flies diving straight into the wine (tapa literally means cover or lid).
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