Tapas Tour at Mester

La Tapa so as to be meaningful, has to be eaten between main meals as food that allows the body to survive until lunch or dinnertime.

Some authors assert that the tapa was born when, due to an illness, the Spanish king Alfonso the 10th, the Wise, had to take small bites of food with some wine between meals. Once recovered from the disease, the wise king decreed that no wine was to be served in any of the inns in the land of Castile , unless accompanied by something to eat. This was a wise precaution to counteract the adverse effects of alcohol on those people who, through lack of money to buy a nourishing meal, drank alcohol on an empty stomach.



Apart from the story of the royal disease we should consider the theory that the tapa first appeared because of the need of farmers and workers of other unions to take a small amount of food during their working time, which allowed them to carry on working until time for the main meal.

This main meal, rich in fat, was so heavy to digest that a “siesta” had to be taken for a couple of hours before going back to the fields or to the workshop. Longer working hours in the morning meant an easier workload after the meal.



Tapas can be eaten at lunch or dinner if the quantity or variety of tapas is enough to satisfy the appetite. But without any doubt, the most singular aspect of the “tapeo” (the art of eating tapas) is its ability to bring together people from all walks of life who gather round the table to enjoy this informal ritual together.

The Tapas Tour is an old tradition in Spain and at Mester. Our students can enjoy this every week. Furthermore They will learn to prepare them in our cookin lessons. This "Tour" is another form to understand Spanish Culture and a great way to make new friends. This is a different way to learn Spanish and at Mester we are sure that our students have a lot of fun with this.

Some Pictures from Tapas Tour

Mester Carnival Party

Last week, in Mester Salamanca we celebrated a big carnival party with all of our students. Mester provided fancy dresses and we enjoyed sangría, tapas, nice music and a Dj in our party room. There were fancy dresses provided by Mester and also others created by our Spanish students (The picture gallery of the Mester Carnival Party can be seen at www.mester.com.



A carnival is a public celebration or parade combining some elements of a circus and public street party, generally during the Carnival Season.




In Spain at the end of Carnival the "Sardine's Funeral Parade" ("El entierro de la Sardina") is celebrated. it marks the end of the period when it is mandatory to eat fish and vegetables only. Other places famous for their carnivals are Cádiz,Santa Cruz de Tenerife,Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, the capital city of Gran Canaria. The Carnival of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and at Santa Cruz de Tenerife are some of the most typical and famous parties of the cities, and are not only well known in Spain, but also have worldwide fame.