Ten Chefs Dish Out Tapas For "World Tapas Day" Event

          At a special event on June 21, "World Tapas Day," Spain crowned San Antonio the "Capital of Tapas" in the U.S. Aside from the delectable honor, there are 10 reasons the city's "Día de la Tapa" was a rousing success.

          Ten renowned Spanish chefs, several with Michelin-stars to their names, created tapas reflective of their own Spanish region. Held at the Pearl, a culinary business hub in San Antonio, some 300 people joined in the 10-chef, 10-tapa-tasting.

          "This is the most unusual food I've ever had; it's like tasting the sea or ocean," said one attendee while savoring a unique tapa called "Sacha's Punch." Each tapa was placed atop myriad green limes available to everyone. 

          Chef Rodrigo Garcia Fonseca demonstrated how he topped off his lime baby clam tapa with a foamy white substance made from the clam's own juice. Fonseca represented Madrid at the Ole, San Antonio event.  

          Chef Juan Leopoldo Nuñez Esquivel's "Rabo de Toro" which mean "Bull's Tail," was also a tasty tapa enveloped in a vegetable fusion. Nuñez Esquivel represented Sevilla, in the Andalucía region in Southern Spain.   

          Olé, San Antonio, a Tricentennial Pearl initiative, was inspired to observe the city´s first World Tapas Day celebration because San Antonio is 300 years old. The city was founded in 1718 by Catholic missionaries sent to Texas by the king of Spain.

          Additionally, the city´s five Spanish missions were named ¨World Heritage Sites" by the United Nations Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (UNESCO) in 2015. Recently, UNESCO also named San Antonio "Creative City of Gastronomy," only the second city so designated in the U.S.

          Although the idea of paying homage to the tapa emerged just three years ago, the tribute has attracted global appeal because Spanish chefs and their restaurants have earned prestigious Michelin stars.

          In fact, this past week Girona's El Celler de Can Roca, in Spain's Catalonia region, was named the second-best restaurant in the world. San Sebastian's Mugaritz and Asador Etxebarri in AXPE, both in the Basque region and Michelin-star recipients, rank among the 10 best restaurants in the world.   

          In 2015, with global attention on Spain's gastronomic excellence, Turespaña tourism agency teamed with Saborea España, a national group focused on gastronomy, hospitality and tourism, and launched the first national "Dia de la Tapa" celebration in Spain.      

          In 2016, Turespaña and Saborea España decided to export the tapa-tribute idea around the globe by officially proclaiming that the third Thursday in June would be known as "Día de la Tapa" from now on.

          This is how the observance of "World Tapas Day," was born. The festive celebration is centered on Spain's unique dining style: bar-hopping, conversation, and of course, consuming Spanish wines or other beverages.     

          "Tapas is a symbol of Spain and it is considered deserving of being the star of its own world day, because it is representative of our cuisine in miniature and is the focus of our most innovative chefs, and because tapas is a word recognized in all major languages," a Turespaña spokesman said in Madrid in 2016, according to the Daily Meal.

          Since then, some 20 countries worldwide celebrate the "Día de la Tapa," including Britain, Ireland, China, Hungary and the Philippines. In the United States, New York, Chicago, Miami and Portland are some of the cities that have embraced the observance.   

          "Spain is world leader in gastronomy. Out of 82 million who visited Spain in 2017, 10 million engaged in culinary experiences. Our country holds 195 Michelin-star restaurants. Spain offers some of the best wine routes worldwide, where gastronomy plays an important role as well," said Felix De Paz, Consul for Tourism at the Tourism Board of Spain's Miami office.

          Organizing the inaugural tapa event included the input of San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, the city of San Antonio and the Pearl. All entities wanted residents to connect to their Spanish roots. That´s reason enough to host Spanish-themed events through September 16, 2018.

          For more information go to www.atpearl.com. Turespaña has 33 offices worldwide dedicated to Spanish tourism. For information on travel to Spain go to www.spain.info.