“Tapeo” (the art of eating tapas) is an important part of the Spanish culture and the social scene. The word “tapas” comes from the Spanish word “tapar” which means “to cover”. Normally tapas consist of a bread which is topped with a slice of meat, Spanish jamon, cheese or other small portions of dishes, in a tapas bar you might also see some dessert.

In Spain, tapas bars are always lively and full of talks and laughter as the most important thing about eating tapas is to gather a friends and to socialize when Spanish people drink beer or sangria and eat tapas.

I love tapas, it kinda reminds me of those summer nights when I lived in Southern China. We have a similar culture and we call that “Dai pai dong”, it’s like a food market street where you grab some BBQ and beer, socializing with friends late at night.

每次提到西班牙文化，不得不说说他们的Tapas文化。 在西班牙随处可见Tapas吧，通常指正餐之前作为前菜食用的各种小吃。Tapas变化多样，可以是简单的奶酪火腿，也可以是烹饪过的鱼或者虾。西班牙人喜欢跟朋友去Tapas吧聚会，大家一起聊天，喝酒，配上各种小吃仪器分享。Tapas文化也是一直社交文化。

这种饮食文化让我想起曾经我住在国内的那些夏夜。国内很多城市都有大排档和夜市文化，想起夏日的深夜，总是聚集曾经好友，三五成群一起去吃串喝酒的日子。每次来西班牙都觉得很怀念这种吃吃喝喝的氛围。