Spanish Tapas Dictionary
Tapas are small flavorful dishes in Spain that are usually eaten in bars, cafeterias, and restaurants. This list was made with the collaboration of FernandoMadrid.
Acedías - Small soles.
Aceitunas - Olives.
Aceitunas aliñadas - Marinated olives.
Adobo - Marinated fish.
Ahumado de Pria - Smoked cheese from Asturias.
Albóndigas - Meatballs in tomato sauce.
Albóndigas en salsa de azafran - Meatballs in a saffron and almond sauce.
| Alcahuciles - Small artichokes in Andalucia. |
Alitas de pollo - Chicken wings marinated with garlic and paprika.
Almendras - Almonds.
Almejas - Clams.
Almejas con vino blanco - Clams with white wine.
Alubias con jamon - Small green beans with cured ham and olive oil.
Bacalao alioli - Cod with garlic and olive oil.
Berenjenas gratinadas - Fresh aubergine with cheese, tomatoes and herbs.
| Bienmesabe - Marinated fish. |
Bigaros - Small sea snails, also called “caramujos”, “caracolillos”.
Boquerones en escabeche - Moorish pickled anchovies.
Boquerones en vinagre - Anchovies in vinegar.
Buñuelos de bacalao - Salt cod fritters.
Burgos - White fresh cheese from Castille.
Cabrales - Roquefort style cheese from Asturias.
| Cabrillas - Big snails. |
Calamares a la Romana - Fried squid rings.
| Calamares de huerta - Onion rings in batter. |
Calamares fritos - Fried squid rings.
Calamaritos - Fried whole small squid.
Callos - Tripe with chickpeas.
Callos a la Vizcaina - Tripe cooked in the Vizcaina style.
Cangrejos de rio - River crab.
Caña de lomo bellota - Pork loin from pigs fed with acorns.
Cañaillas - Sea snails, bigger than bigaros.
Caracoles - Snails.
| Carcamusas - Stewed meat with tomato, chorizo, peas and red pepper (Toledo). |
Carne con Salsa/Guisantes - Beef with gravy &/or Peas - Typically a Menorquin dish
Cazon en adobo - Marinated fried shark.
Cecina - Beef jerky.
Cerrato - Cheese similar fo Manchego, from Castille-Leon, normally cured or matured.
Cerviche - Marinated fish.
Champiñones al ajillo - Mushrooms with olive oil and garlic.
Chipirones - Fried whole baby squid.
Chorizo - Cured spicy sausage.
Chorizo Iberico - Red sausage made from Iberian pigs.
| Clóchinas - Mussels in Valencia. |
Coctel de gambas - Prawn or shrimp cocktail.
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Concha fina - Big clam that looks a bit like an oyster (Málaga).
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Costillas - Barbecued mini ribs.
Corns - Sea Snails (similar to whelks)
Croquetas - Croquettes stuffed with ham, cod, shrimp, sausage, cheese, or any vegetable.
Empanada - Pastry stuffed with meat or fish.
Empanada de cerdo - Pork pie.
Ensalada de atun y huevos - Tuna and egg salad.
Ensalada de tomate y albahaca - Tomato and basil salad.
Ensalada mixta - Mixed salad with lettuce, tomatoes, and other ingredients.
Ensaladilla rusa - Spanish potato and tuna salad.
Escabeche de gambas - Prawn marinade.
Esparragos en salsa - Asparagus with sauce.
Flamenquin - Jamon Serrano rolled into pork loin, coated with bread crumbs and deep fried.
Fritada - Fried fish mixture.
Fritura variedad - Fried fish variety.
Gambas al ajillo - Shrimp sautéed in garlic.
Gambas a la plancha - Pan-grilled shrimp or prawn.
Gambas al pil pil - Shrimp or prawns in garlic and chile.
Gambas rebozadas - Deep fried shrimp or prawns.
Garbanzos con chorizo - Chickpeas with sausage.
Garbanzos con jamón - Chickpeas with ham.
Gazpacho - Cold tomato soup.
Gazpacho caliente - hot tomato soup thickened with breadcrumbs (Andalucia)
Gilda - Chile pepper, anchovy, and an olive.
Guisantes con jamon - Green peas with cured ham.
Habas/Habitas con jamon - broad beans with cured ham.
Huevas de bacalao - Cod fish eggs.
Huevos en mayonesa - Eggs in mayonnaise.
Huevos de merluza - Hake-haddock eggs.
Huevos revueltos con jamon - Scrambled eggs with Serrano ham.
Idiazabal - Smoked cheese from the Basque country.
Jamon Iberico - Iberian pig ham fed with acorns.
Jamon pata negra - The same as Jamon Iberico.
Jamon Serrano - Dry cured ham.
Jamon, tomate, y ajo con pan - Ham, tomato and garlic bruschetta.
Jibia - Cuttlefish.
Langostinos - Tiger prawns.
La Peral - Asturias cheese similar to Gorgonzola.
Lomo - Cured pork loin.
Lomo en manteca - Cured pork loin with red lard.
Magro con salsa - Pork fillet in sauce.
Manchego - The most typical Spanish cheese from sheep from Castilla La Mancha. It can be fresh (fresco), medium (semi curado), cured (curado), and matured (añejo).
| Matrimonio - Anchovy in vinegar & salted anchovy canapé. |
Mejillones - Mussels.
Mejillones en escabeche - Mussels marinated in garlic and fresh herbs.
Mejillones rellenos - Stuffed mussels.
Miraflores - White fresh chees from Castille.
Mollejas - Part of the intestines, normally grilled or boiled, from lamb or veal.
Morcilla frita - Fried blood sausage (black pudding).
Muslitos de cangrejo - Little crab thighs.
Oreja - Spicy ear of port.
Oricios - Sea urchin, also known as “erizos”.
Pancheta - Fresh pork bacon, not smoked.
Pasteles de txangurro - Basque style spider crab cakes.
Patatas a la pobre - Fried potatoes sautéed with onions, red and green peppers.
Patatas alioli - Potatoes with garlic and olive oil.
Patatas bravas - Spicy and hot fired potatoes.
Patatas de casa - house potatoes.
Patatas rellenas - Stuffed potatoes.
| Pavías - Cod strips in batter. |
Pescaditos fritos - Assortment of fried little fish.
Picon - Roquefort style cheese from Cantabria.
Pijota - Small hake.
Pimientos del Piquillo - Red peppers in the Piquillo style.
Pimientos rellenos - Peppers stuffed with rice.
Pinchitos morunos - Small spicy Moorish kebabs.
Piperada - Egg dish on toasted bread rounds with butter.
Pipirrana - Salad with green pepper, tomato, onions, and tuna or cod.
Pollo relleno de jamon - Chicken stuffed with ham.
Pulpo - Octopus.
Pulpo a la Gallega - Octopus cooked in the Galician style (with sweet red paprika)
Pulpo al ajillo - Octopus with garlic.
Pulpo frito - Fried octopus.
Puntillitas - Fried whole baby squid.
Queso emborrado - sheep or goat cheese marinated in olive oil and herbs.
Queso Manchego - Sheep cheese from Manchegan sheep from Castilla la Mancha.
Rabas - Squid tentacles.
Remojon - Cod and orange salad.
| Revolconas - Crashed boiled potato with sweet red paprika and chunk of fried bacon (Avila) |
Revuelto de ajetes - Scrambled eggs with soft garlic.
Revuelto de esparragos - Scrambled eggs with asparagus.
Revuelto de morcilla - Scrambled eggs with blood sausage (black pudding).
Riñones al jerez - Sherry kidneys.
Rosada a la plancha - Grilled haddock.
Salchichon - Sausage.
Salchichon Iberico - Sausage made from Iberian pigs.
Salmorejo cordobes- Cold cream made from tomatoes ,bread, oil, salt, vinegar and water.
Salpicon de mariscos - Seafood salad.
San Simon - Smoked cheese from Galicia.
Sardinas - Fresh sardines.
Setas - Wild mushrooms.
| Tellinas - Wedge shells in Valencia |
Tetilla - Mild cheese from cow milk from Galicia.
| Tiberios - Hot spicey mussels (Zamora) |
Tigres - Deep fried mussels with béchamel sauce.
Torta del Casar - Similar to Mont D’or French cheese and is from Extremadura.
Tortilla de esparragos - Asparagus omelette.
Tortilla de patatas - Potato omelet.
Tortillitas de camarones - Shrimp fritters.
Tortilla Espanola - Traditional potato and onion omelette.
Zamora - Cheese similar fo Manchego, from Castille-Leon, normally cured or matured.
| Zarajo - Roast lamb tripe wrapped around a stick (Cuenca). |