The original tapas were the slices of bread or meat which sherry drinkers used to cover their glasses between sips in Andalusian taverns. This was a practical measure meant to prevent fruit flies from hovering over the sweet sherry. The meat used to cover the sherry was normally ham or chorizo, which are both very salty and activate thirst. Because of this, bartenders and restaurant owners began creating a variety of snacks to serve with sherry, thus increasing their alcohol sales. Soon the lowly tapa (from tapa derived the verb tapar, "to cover") became as important as the sherry.( The Joy of Cooking)
