Hungarians’ attitude to tapas has changed so much in two decades

The first dish of Spanish sausages got criticized for the lack of mustard, nowadays more people call it chorizo than sausages upon ordering. Budapest’s first ever tapas bar opened its doors exactly two decades ago in Kálvin Square. In the last 20 years, the only change comparable to the major transformation of the emblematic capital venue has been the gastronomic taste of the Hungarian clientele. As the telling sausage story shows, back in 2004 tapas sometimes seemed to be too much on Hungarians’ plates. Even though the portions were notoriously smaller than those in local cuisine.

What is tapas?

In Spain, every meal has double role, and tapas is a way of enjoying good company and life. The concept has recently gained global popularity with food sharing and small-plate trends making their way worldwide. Surprisingly, tapas, the word itself means “covers”, which refers to the origin of the custom. One of many. According to one story, the tradition of tapas was started by King Alfonso X the Wise of Castile, who recovered from an illness by drinking wine and eating small bites of food.

Others believe that the truly wise Spanish king ordered wine-tasting establishments to serve food with the drink so that there would be fewer drunks (and, of course, less hassle) around the pubs of the time… Seems to be more still is the legend that the covering of food originated in Andalusian taverns: guests sipping sherry, or maybe the barmen, would cover the glasses with a slice of bread or ham so that the wine would not be surrounded by flies.

Tapas are now nothing more, nothing less than a few appetising snacks, typically consumed while drinking beer or wine in Spain. In some regions, the barman puts them in front of the customer without asking, and in Castile or Andalusia, some olives are always on the house too. There are hot and cold tapas, crispy baguettes and clay pots, and many restaurants, every Spanish region, have their own ‘speciality’.

Since opening day, Pata Negra has kept the classics, Spanish dishes that are on the menus of eight out of ten tapas bars on the Iberian Peninsula. According to Vilmos Losits, one of the restaurant’s owners, the seafood may have become an unquestioned favourite in Kálvin Square precisely because of the Spanish holiday memories. “According to our statistics, we’ve served the most portions of gambas al ajillo (garlic and chilli crab tails) since opening. I’m sure it’s not just a matter of taste, but also due to the prawns we all try on holiday in Spain.”

By the time Hungary joined the European Union on May 1, 2004, Vilmos and co-owner Szilveszter Mókusz were literally packed for their study trip to Spain. In the last 20 years it seems to them that more and more guests followed their footsteps and visited the Iberian Peninsula. The tapas favourites are telling… Pata Negra’s first menu was conceived in a filofax at the airport in Badalona, and a few months later, Budapest’s first tapas bar opened on 22 September. If it wasn’t for a misunderstanding about the name, they might have opened a little earlier.

The black hoof

“The reverend almost had us excommunicated from Kálvin Square when he saw the name of the restaurant.” – says Szilveszter laughing. The first authentic Spanish bistro in Budapest opened right next to the Reformed Church in Kálvin Square, and the building was rented by the parish. It became a serious matter because the pastor first associated the name “black hoof” (Pata Negra) with the devil himself. “We tried to convince him that there was nothing of the sort, we tried to invite him in to see for himself, but he refused to cross the door.”

In the end, it took the backup of the Spanish Embassy in Budapest that, at the request of Szilveszter and Vilmos, officially confirmed the cultural background of the restaurant’s name and the goodwill of the owners. In the early 2000s, the Iberian pork – a distant relative of the Hungarian mangalica – was still little known in Hungary, but its name has since become synonymous with one of the world’s best hams. And the best Iberian pork, heaven knows why, has black hooves.

In its letter to the parish, the Embassy also confirmed that in Spanish pata negra or patanegra can refer not only to hams, but also to high-quality prestige goods or even to a highly qualified person in everyday speech. “Our idea with the name was precisely to have the best of everything Spain has to offer, and to make the experience truly authentic from the Andalusian tiles on the wall to the premium Spanish beer on tap. We believe the hams hanging from the ceiling do matter in the end.” – say the owners.

Spanish spinach has conquered Budapest

Even after two decades, Pata Negra still tries to bring in innovation from time to time, sometimes running into unexpected obstacles. “If we take something off the menu, within a week there’s bound to be a complaint: ‘Why did you have to change my favourite?!'”. Of course, there are dishes that have been with them since they opened. And now you can find them elsewhere too. “There isn’t a tapas bar in Budapest today that doesn’t have serrano ham and cream spinach. And it was the leftover recipe of my then Spanish girlfriend in Valencia in the nineties. It only took two decades for Spanish spinach to conquer the heart of the Hungarians.” – laughs Szilveszter.

For the 20^th anniversary on 22 September, they are preparing as they always do: quietly making tapas and walking their own path. Of course, there will be prize draws for regulars and followers, and even a 70-minute Spotify playlist of Pata Negra’s favourite Spanish songs.  Whatever they do, it’s always to the beat of Spain. The fiesta of flavours continues. “We’ll do it for 15 more years, then we’ll retire.” – they smile. That’s a lot of spinach to go.

RECIPE: Espinacas con Jamón | Garlic spinach with cream and serrano ham

Chop the garlic and serrano ham and fry in a little cooking olive oil for a few minutes. Add the spinach and sauté over high heat before adding the cream. Season with salt and pepper. Thicken to a creamy consistency with the cream and serve in terracotta cazuela or in a small soup bowl.