Every drink comes with a kiss.

1. The word

   To cover

   Tapa comes from tapar, "to cover." The best-known story says Andalusian tavern keepers laid a slice of bread, ham or cheese over a glass of wine or sherry to keep out dust and fruit flies. Before long, the lid became the best part of the drink.

2. 13th century · Castile

   A king's prescription

   Legend credits King Alfonso X, "the Wise," who was said to have recovered from an illness by taking small bites of food with his wine. He supposedly decreed that taverns in Castile serve food alongside wine, so no one would drink on an empty stomach.

3. Early 1900s · Cádiz

   The windy afternoon

   Another favorite: King Alfonso XIII stopped at a roadside inn near Cádiz on a gusty day. To keep sand out of his sherry, the innkeeper covered the glass with a slice of jamón. The king liked it so much he ordered another, "with the cover."

4. Today · Granada

   Where the free tapa lives on

   Across most of Spain, tapas are now ordered and paid for. But in Granada, the old custom never faded. Order a caña or a glass of wine, and a plate arrives free. Order another round, and the next tapa is often bigger and better. Granada is the most famous keeper of the tradition (with neighbors like Jaén, Almería and León), and it's the custom that inspired our Beso del Día.

At Besos, we cook from every one of these regions, and the first bite is always on us.