I am in a tapas bar in Barcelona looking at culinary delight around me. What a hard choice to make from all the tapas available: seafood, pastries, salads, olives, cheese, Chorizo sausages, Iberian jamón and so much more. Tapas are small size appetizers or snacks to enjoy with a drink, and they are big part of Spanish food culture. They can be simple or sophisticated, cold or hot, but they are all delicious. I decided to start with the classic Spanish tortilla, a potato and egg omelet style appetizer, spicy chorizo sausages, a plate of Iberian jamón (ham)- a staple of Spanish cuisine, plus clams in tomato and garlic sauce. Certainly, a glass of Sangria to complement the spiciness of chorizo sausages made with a good dash of paprika. Interestingly, a word tapa means a cover or a lid in the Spanish language. In Georgian tapa means a skillet. The beginnings of tapas go back as far as the 13th century when the Spanish king Alfonso the Wise, for health reasons, was advised by the doctors to change his eating and drinking habits, shifting from huge to small portions, more frequent food intake and never drink without a snack. Good advice! What was a wise doctor’s advice in the thirteen century developed into a culinary tradition. The king introduced small portions of food instead of gargantuan portions which his subjects and the medieval people at large were accustomed to. The tapas evolved a food culture that reminds me of Georgia because Georgians do not drink without food either. Although tapas imply no drink without a snack, they also call for socializing, conversation and fun. Eaten in between meals, tapas also function to sustain people during the period before late Mediterranean dinners. Cocktails or aperitifs before dinner are not a custom in Georgia. Georgians prefer seated dinners rather than buffets as they do not really feel comfortable, circulating, oozing intelligence with a plate and a drink in their hands. They prefer to sit down to enjoy their food, wine and company. Plenty of appetizers typically start Georgian supra, and toasts trigger interesting dialogue. Enjoying fine food and drink along with socializing is the principal of supra and idea behind tapas. The Catalonian region’s patron saint is St. George (Jordi), and the images of the saint killing the dragon appear everywhere. The brave soldier-saint is also the patron saint of Georgia. Coincidently, my arrival in Barcelona for a professional course on negotiating peace and justice occurred in the midst of the current Catalonian struggle for independence. The separatist movement preoccupies a large majority of the Catalonian population, sizzling and feeding the fire of independence from Madrid. Today is a general strike, everything is closed and I witnessed the peaceful demonstration. Later people walked in white in a show of unity for their country. The Spanish and the red-and-gold striped Catalonian independence flag were omnipresent throughout the streets. As a large Mediterranean seaport, fresh fish and seafood are common staples in Barcelona. With colleagues from my seminar I went out for dinner to an elegant beach restaurant, just a few minutes’ walk from the city center. As we were a party of thirty, we were seated at a long table with plates of fresh salmon garnished with salad leaves, hearts of palm and corn. The table also sported plates of large shrimp, fried calamari, mussels and octopus salad. Small servings of cold cuts, including jamón, the house specialty, followed as additional appetizers. Large jamóns dangling from the ceiling were within sight of our table. When I got up to further tour the restaurant, one of the chefs fished out a giant octopus out of a huge boiling vet. With its multiple, fat juicy tentacles spread out the octopus was easily three feet in diameter. Our main dish consisted of seafood paella served out of a hot skillet consisting of lobster, shrimp, mussels, clams, scallops mixed with rice seasoned with a savory seafood sauce. This exquisite spread of a seafood paradise from both Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea was supplemented by homemade red and white wines. The red wines boasted a heavy bouquet, while the natural white wines were light and arid. After such a feast our desert was perfect-a light sorbet served in a tall glasses. Slightly sour yet refreshing, it was ideal denouement at this Spanish paradise. One observation of note during my stay in Barcelona that despite the civil unrest the high point of meals remained uninterrupted. With the crowds in the streets and flags waving, Catalonians and tourists alike still enjoyed the wonderful foods the city offers. As I look back at my brief stay in Barcelona, I realize the unbreakable tradition of all cultures lies in culinary delight. La Boqueria market, Barcelona
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In the PressThe New Yorker:
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September 2019
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