From June 10 to 19, the Embassy of Spain in Argentina organizes Tapeando, a festival that will take over more than 50 restaurants in the city, and also in Córdoba, Mendoza, Neuquén and Rosario. The Spanish custom consists of going with friends from bar to bar, snacking and having a drink, and for the occasion the gastronomic establishments of our country created reversioned tapas. Attendees can create their own circuit from an interactive map: the more tapas they try, the more chances they have of winning the draw for two tickets to Spain.
One of the participants of the Tapeando, Paquito, very faithfully embodies the spirit of the Spanish tavern. There is a large leg of Serrano ham on the counter, a counter to eat on the go, and a glazed underground cellar, which can be seen from the living room. Obviously, the selection of wines is good, with a predominance of young wines, easy to drink, and little-used strains such as the Creole grape. There is also vermouth, draft cider, beer and gin and tonic (today the most popular choice in Spain when going out for tapas). For snacks, you can opt for classic tapas such as ham croquettes, smoked anchovies and patatas bravas, or more popular options such as black pudding with pear and Roquefort.
Fish and seafood abound on the menu: tasty garlic prawns, mussels a la marinera (or clams, if the sea allows it) with French fries, catch of the day in marmitako (in a saucepan) and, also if you are lucky , knives. There are more succulent dishes such as chistorra (a meat and pork sausage) made in cider over mashed cauliflower and arroz a banda (a variant of paella, which also “comes out when it comes out”). For dessert, try the wonderful cheesecake, with blue cheese and sweet figs.
For Tapeando, they have dishes at promotional prices, accompanied by a vermouth: Paquito tortilla (always baby), tripe a la madrileña (the Spanish version of tripe stew, with chickpeas, bacon and meat; in a sauce full of flavor) ; and oxtail (stew with potato and apple). A lid, a straw and continue!
