Tapas are a common meal in Avila. Tapas, from the verb "tapar," meaning "to cover," got their name from an 18th century king who liked to have a plate of food over his goblet to make sure dust did not get into the wine. Tapas are small dishes that are typically shared and sampled by several people. In Avila, tapas choices include mushrooms, prawns, meatballs, olives, cheese, cold meats and tripe. Spanish people tend to eat a late, light dinner, so tapas provides a lot of flavor and variety without being a heavy meal.
One of the most famous dishes in Avila is roast veal steak, which comes from centuries of peasants raising cattle. It is typically served with local vegetables and beans, which can be simple green beans and cabbage or combined to make rich stews. Avila is also known for other types of roast meat, such as lamb, goat and pig. These roasts would typically be served at lunch, the largest meal of the day, to be enjoyed before a long afternoon siesta.
The people of Avila pride themselves on the dessert called yemes de Santa Teresa. This is a mixture of egg yolk and syrup that has been boiled together, cooled off and shaped to look again like an egg yolk, and then dusted with sugar. An Avila dessert usually consists of a couple of pastries, such as the yemes de Santa Teresa, alongside fruit and large amounts of whipped cream. The fruit selection would change daily with what is available in the region at the time.
