According to the dictionary of Real Academia Española (Royal Spanish Academy), a tapa is a small portion of food that is served with a drink. According to others, a tapa is a carefree way of having a meal without realising. However, with no trace of doubt, we cannot deny that the concept of a tapa has obtained international recognition. Would you know where that portion of food comes from though?
Legend says whenever the Catholic Monarchs visited Extremadura, they would stop at inns and taverns throughout the route. The keepers would greet the King with a jug of wine that was covered with a slice of ham, in order to avoid dirt from the road getting into the wine. As such, the concept of the tapa is linked to the act of covering the drink, resulting in a portion of food that accompanies the actual drink.
That is where the values of our restaurant Llerena stem from, since the tapas are considerably bigger than a small portion and the ibérico ham comes directly from Extremadura. Llerena was born among holm oaks in the dehesa, under the name Jamón y Salud. This is a family business who has specialised for almost a century and four generations in Iberian pork products, especially in acorn-fed pork products. This family of farmers, who has been working since 1939, has decided to bring its first and only store to the city of London in order to share their own products. The Iberian tapas bar called Llerena is the place to try some of Extremadura's best food: roasted meats, creamy Torta del Casar cheese and the finest jamón.
Llerena, a little piece of Extremadura in the heart of Spain
The Iberian tapas bar called Llerena is the place to try some of Extremadura's best food: roasted meats, creamy Torta del Casar cheese and the finest jamón.