Tapas vs pintxos
Tapas and pintxos are related small-plate traditions, not identical. Tapas is the broader Spanish bar-snack idea; pintxos are the Basque/Navarrese style — often stacked on bread and pierced with a stick (pintxo).
Practical differences
- Geography & identity — pintxos are a northern cultural marker; tapas is national vocabulary
- Presentation — pintxos frequently sit on the bar for pointing/choosing; tapas may be ordered from a kitchen list
- Overlap — many bites could appear in either world (olives, tortilla, croquetas)