The meaning of Tapas:Tapa is a lid or a cover.

Long ago in Spain a small cover of food such as cheese, a slice of meat, bread or a cracker topped with olives or nuts was placed over the wine or beer glass to keep the gnats out of the drink. The custom of placing a cover of food over the drink evolved into the definition of Tapas. Tapas became a term used to describe the eating of the cover (the cheese, slices of meat, bread or crackers) along with the drink. Tapas was always a small portion of food served over the wine or beer and eaten along with the drink.

Today in Spain Tapas and its various regional equivalents have come to imply the act of going out to a bar exercising the art of eating while standing and reminiscing the events of the day.

Today in America Tapas is not a particular type of food, rather a style of eating. Tapas means any type of food generally served on small plates in smaller portions and designed to be shared with the guests at the table. Any type of food can be Tapas, truly anything hot or cold, as long as it is served in small portions and served with your drink. Tapas is not a collection of small dishes brought out on a platter and eaten as a main course. Tapas is not the appetizer eaten before the main meal. If you begin eating Tapas, you finish eating Tapas. Tapas is served on a small dish one at a time and best eaten in several courses. When you finish one dish, you order another, until you are satisfied. For example, a table of four may order one dish, have it delivered to the table and share eating it. Then, over the course of the evening, order three or four more times while trying three or four more dishes.

Tapas in a gastronomical sense (the art of good eating or culinary customs) means small portions of something appetizing served with a beverage and shared by everyone at the table. Using this style of eating, in that you can sample a progression of small dishes rather than limit tasting options to one large main course, is genuinely Tapas.