A tapa is an appetiser or snack in Spanish cuisine. Tapas can be combined to make a full meal, and can be cold or hot. In some bars and restaurants in Spain and across the globe, tapas have evolved into a very sophisticated cuisine. In some Central American countries, such snacks are known as bocas. In parts of Mexico, similar dishes are called botanas.
Tapas in Barcelona, Spain
Tapas bar and restaurant at Plaza Mayor, Madrid
An hors d'oeuvre, appetiser or starter is a small dish served before a meal in European cuisine. Some hors d'oeuvres are served cold, others hot. Hors d'oeuvres may be served at the dinner table as a part of the meal, or they may be served before seating, such as at a reception or cocktail party. Formerly, hors d'oeuvres were also served between courses. There are two types of hors d'oeuvre from service point of view:General hors d'oeuvre
Classical hors d'oeuvre
A tray of canapés, a form of hors d'oeuvres, at a cocktail party
Hors-d'oeuvres (1623) by Pieter Claesz
Various crudités served at a cocktail party
Steward in a vintage 1920s railcar serving canapés on a tray as part of butler style service