[Sca-cooks] Tapas

[Terry Decker]

> >Recipe 199 in Sabina Welserin is Spanisches Geba:ck machen (To make
>>Spanish pastries).  The recipe can be translated as being a sweet 
>>empanada.  This would likely be a late period example of a tapa, although 
>>the word is not used.
>
> Rumpolt also has Spanish pastries, both sweet and savory.
>
> But Tapas are more a way of serving than a specific recipe.  A recipe that 
> might be served as a tapa, is not a tapa if its a part of a regular meal, 
> or that's what I've read anyway.
>
> http://gospain.about.com/od/fooddrink/qt/tapasdefinition.htm
>
> Sharon

In that case, recipes are immaterial and the determination of the history of 
tapas is based on the word usage.  To determine the history, ignore the 
apochrypha and concentrate on the actual usage, which is not easily located 
in English translation.  At least I haven't been able to find it.

While tapas has moved into English (well, Amurican), the word does not 
appear in my copy of the OED.  A quick ref dictionary, gives no usage, but 
says that the word derives from the Spanish for "cap" and is of Germanic 
origin.  If that is correct, then the original word is likely "die Kappe." 
Should the Germanic origin be correct, it likely places the linguistic 
transfer prior to 1700.

Bear