Tapas and Flamenco
One of our favorite things to do in a new city is a walking food tour. In Seville, since Amy would be with us, we decided to double the fun by booking a combination tour called Seville Tapas & Flamenco.
The rain had held off for a few hours that day, and we had even had some sunshine during our walk to Plaza de España. But by early evening, it was raining heavily. Our rain jackets were not sufficient to keep us from getting thoroughly soaked on the walk to our tour’s meeting spot. If only the rain had held off until after the tour, when we wouldn’t have minded being wet and cold!
Anyway, our group was small: two friendly couples from northern England, the three of us, and our guide, Maria R. We started at Bar Casa Placido, where we sipped Manzanilla (a local sherry) with our tapas: jamón Iberico, garbanzos con espinacas (chickpeas with spinach, a favorite in Seville), and croquetas de carrilleras (pork cheek croquettes). It was all delicious, especially the garbanzos. While we ate, Maria R. told us how flamenco evolved through casual gatherings of gypsies* in bars and private homes in Andalusía. She told us that she had learned flamenco dance as a child, but now prefers a folk dance called Sevillanas. She dresses up and dances Sevillanas with her friends every year during Feria de Abril (April Fair). It’s a beloved tradition in Maria R.’s family; she showed us a photo of her mother and 85-year-old grandmother, in their costumes, ready to dance Sevillanas. (*Maria R. asked our permission to use the word “gypsies,” which may be offensive to some, but apparently not in Seville. In the United States, the term “Romani” is considered to be more acceptable.)
After tapas, it was almost time for the show! We walked to La Casa del Flamenco, in the former Jewish Quarter. The performance space was once the courtyard of a palatial home from the 15th century. It was large, airy, and as different as one can get from the underground cave where we had watched flamenco in Madrid.
Maria R. had explained that flamenco artists did not have rehearsed performances; they simply got together and improvised. (It made me think of jazz.) She also said that the performers at La Casa del Flamenco were very experienced and well-known in Spain.
The cast was made up of a guitarist, two singers, and two dancers. They started with Sevillanas, which featured two things that flamenco does not: the man and woman dancing together, and castanets. After that, there were flamenco performances in turn by the singers, the female dancer, the guitarist, and the male dancer. The female dancer swapped her polka-dot Sevillanas dress for a gorgeous violet gown and a matching shawl with long fringe that swayed with every move. I wish I could have recorded it! (Photos and videos were not permitted until the finale, and she was back in a Sevillanas costume.)
I loved the vibrating castanets and joy of the Sevillana, the dramatic flourishes of the female dancer in her swishy violet flamenco dress, and the rapid-fire footwork and panache of the male dancer. I enjoyed the way the performers engaged with each other and with the audience. It was a terrific show!
After the show, we walked to Vineria San Telmo for dinner, where their specialty was “local dishes with a twist.” We enjoyed some good vino Tinto (red wine) with three creative and tasty tapas:
Espaguetti - squid ink spaghetti and imitation elvers (baby eels) with pesto and shrimp
Crujiente de Cola de Toro - bull tail stew in crispy wrapper
Pluma Ibérica con calabaza - feather cut of pork loin with winter squash
After the tapas, we sipped PX Néctar, a sweet wine made with Pedro Ximenez grapes (it reminded me of a port), and enjoyed a special dessert made by the restaurant owner’s wife called tocino de cielo (heavenly bacon). It contained egg yolks, sugar, and water, but unlike flan, it had no milk. This traditional dessert dates back to the 14th century, when nuns in Jerez, Spain used the egg yolks left after the whites were used to clarify wine. With tasty dishes and lively conversation, our group had a wonderful time.
