“Tapa” is simply a small portion of food, and when you order tapas, you'll end up ordering lots of small plates and sharing. A common story behind tapas is that it started as small slices of meat or bread served in bars that patrons would use to cover their drinks to keep flies out.

Portion sizes will vary by restaurant, but typically, ordering 2 to 3 tapas per person gets the job done. So a party of 4 would order 8 to 12 tapas between them. Don't be afraid to ask your server if you haven't ordered enough food, and remember, your friends are there to help if you've ordered too much.

Tapas are a wide variety of appetizers, or snacks, in Spanish cuisine. They may be cold (such as mixed olives and cheese) or warm (such as chopitos, which are battered, fried baby squid). In select restaurants and bars in Spain, tapas have evolved into an entire and sophisticated cuisine.

The key difference is that in a tapas restaurant, food is meant for sharing. When the Spanish would sit down to enjoy food with family and friends, it would be laid out on smaller plates for everyone to choose from. This not only gives everyone a greater selection of food, but it is also socially enhancing.