Cañas y Tapas

[Jane]

What is the equivalent of Cañas y Tapas in English? And, do other Spanish speaking countries use them in the same context?

[Tomisimo]

I *think* it's a Spain thing. By the way, I know what tapas are, but what are cañas?

[Rusty]

Una caña es un vaso de cerveza.
Las tapas son los platitos típicos que acompañan una bebida y tapas pueden incluir diferentes tipos de jamón, quesos, aceitunas, tortillas, almendras, nueces, etc.

Beers and Appetizers

[CrOtALiTo]

In my country the cañas are of sugar.

In Spain, I don't know, what's it.

But the tapa could be tapa of a bottle of any thing.

[Alfonso]

I agree with David. It's a Spanish thing. As soon as you come here you know what caña and tapa mean. But as soon as you leave the country you realise you can't use in other place.

It's said that, when in Spain there were a lot of flies, in a bar, to avoid flies getting into the drink, the barman served a piece of bread with something else, and put it over the glass. This is the origin of the habit of having some food with the drink, which is a very healthy one.

[Jane]

Originally Posted by Alfonso

It's said that, when in Spain there were a lot of flies, in a bar, to avoid flies getting into the drink, the barman served a piece of bread with something else, and put it over the glass. This is the origin of the habit of having some food with the drink, which is a very healthy one.

I don´t think the tapas can rightly be described as food, maybe snacks or appetizers as Rusty said.

[Jane]

Originally Posted by Alfonso

I agree with David. It's a Spanish thing. As soon as you come here you know what caña and tapa mean. But as soon as you leave the country you realise you can't use in other place.

Are you suggesting that it´s only in Spain that people take their drinks with snacks/appetizers or that it´s only in Spain that there´s a name for it?

[Alfonso]

Jane, I mean that the names tapas and cañas are only Spanish from Spain. I don't think they are used abroad Spain. Besides, the habit to eat some food, snacks or appetizers (as sometimes it's not only a snack) is also a very Spanish habit. If you order a beer in a bar in USA or in England, do you also get an appetizer with it?

[María José]

Originally Posted by Alfonso

I agree with David. It's a Spanish thing. As soon as you come here you know what caña and tapa mean. But as soon as you leave the country you realise you can't use in other place.

It's said that, when in Spain there were a lot of flies, in a bar, to avoid flies getting into the drink, the barman served a piece of bread with something else, and put it over the glass. This is the origin of the habit of having some food with the drink, which is a very healthy one.

I don't agree with you a hundred per cent. In the past two years or so tapas bars (by that name) have become extremely popular in Britain.They serve Spanish tapas or so they say. I haven't been to any and I wouldn't want to know what the omelettes look like (Years ago I saw a square reddish one in a pub...)

[Jane]

Originally Posted by Alfonso

...
Besides, the habit to eat some food, snacks or appetizers (as sometimes it's not only a snack) is also a very Spanish habit. If you order a beer in a bar in USA or in England, do you also get an appetizer with it?

...

Originally Posted by Gemma

I don't agree with you a hundred per cent. In the past two years or so tapas bars (by that name) have become extremely popular in Britain.They serve Spanish tapas or so they say. I haven't been to any and I wouldn't want to know what the omelettes look like (Years ago I saw a square reddish one in a pub...)

Well, I guess this answers your question, not minding what or how the omelettes look like.

[poli]

Tapas bars are very popular in New York. The tortillas are like they are
in Spain. To be honest , with the exception of a notable few, New York tapas bars seem a little bit pretentious and overpriced.

[Alfonso]

It's what globalisation has got.

But I'm also meaning a cultural habit, which is to drink alcohol in the morning, before having a meal, in a bar, with some food, especially on Saturdays.

And I don't think this habit is a very British or American one. And this is called, salir de cañas.

[poli]

You're right about that. Having a drink before breakfast is reserved for people with a very severe problem here. To my knowledge, bars don't even open until noon, but most stay open until 4 in the morning. In England federal law requires pubs to close at 11PM

[Alfonso]

Thanks Poli for your explanation. Actually I didn't mean before breakfast, but before lunch (I inaccurately wrote before having a meal). Anyway, I still don't think this is an Anglosaxon habit, as I've been, several times, stared in blanks eyes by some of my American students while having a beer (not a pint, a caña) at 11.00 a.m. between classes, with a tapa.

[poli]

Originally Posted by Alfonso

Thanks Poli for your explanation. Actually I didn't mean before breakfast, but before lunch (I inaccurately wrote before having a meal). Anyway, I still don't think this is an Anglosaxon habit, as I've been, several times, staring blank eyes by some of my American students while having a beer (not a pint, a caña) at 11.00 a.m. between classes, with a tapa.

Bueno, la diferenecia no es muy grande en EE UU. Se puede tomar un vaso
de cerveza y un bocadillo (una caña no es mucho) a las 12 aqui. La diferencia es que las horas de almuerzo empienzan a las doce y terminen a las dos. Lo que veo raro en España es cuando una person pide un cafe
con un vaso (un vaso lleno) de brandy al lado en un sitio familiar. Eso no es nada anglo-sajón (ni en Mexico). El uso de alcohol asi no se ve en sitios de almuerzo (se dice aquí coffee shops o diners). sino en tabernas oscuras.

[Alfonso]

Originally Posted by poli

Bueno, la diferencia no es muy grande en EE UU. Se puede tomar un vaso de cerveza y un bocadillo (una caña no es mucho) a las 12 aqui. La diferencia es que las horas de almuerzo empiezan a las doce y terminan a las dos. Lo que veo raro en España es cuando una person pide un cafe con un vaso (un vaso lleno) de brandy al lado en un sitio familiar. Eso no es nada anglo-sajón (ni en México). El uso de alcohol así no se ve en sitios de almuerzo (se dice aquí coffee shops o diners). sino en tabernas oscuras.

Neither here is very usual to have a full glass of brandy, nor in the morning nor by night. What you can have is a carajillo which is a coffee with some brandy in it. It's a good way to start the day, especially if you work in the construction segment.

[Elaina]

Well, in some parts of Mexico the food or appetizers that are served in a bar are called "totopos", i.e. salsa and chips, peanuts, etc.

Creo que cañas (small glasses of beer) is a more traditional Spain thing. In Mexico a caña is a sugar cane stick.

[Jane]

Originally Posted by Alfonso

Neither [here] is it very usual to have a full glass of brandy, not in the morning nor by at night. What you can have is a carajillo which is a coffee with some brandy in it. It's a good way to start the day, especially if you work in the construction segment.

...

[Tomisimo]

I agree with Crotalito and Elaina. In Mexico a caña is the stalk of a sugar cane and tapa means lid. Totopo as far as I know only refers to tortilla chips or corn chips as they are known in the US.

[Alfonso]

Thanks a lot, Jane, for your corrections! I'm always doubtful when I say something with neither / either.