In Spain Tapas are served either as an introduction to the main meal or often as a substitute for it. Freshly made each day, Tapas can be eaten hot or cold, served plain or as an artistic flight of fancy.
The true origin of the Tapas culture is the subject of much debate. One legend has it that King Alfonso X who ruled over Seville, Cordoba, and Jaén in the 13th century, was advised by his doctor to cut back on his calories. So he was served tiny morsels of food that supposedly tasted so good, that they became the precursors of the Tapas we know today. Other stories explain that the beginning of the Tapas started in the medieval age as a solution to irritating insects. This custom included the use of a small covers (which means Tapas in Spanish), as a way to protect small dishes of food. The word "Tapas" may also come from a medieval time in Spain when serving numerous small dishes of food was a sign of refined hospitality.
