Bocados

Bocados is a culinary term that refers to small, single-bite portions of food served as appetizers or snacks. The word comes from the Spanish "bocado", meaning bite or mouthful. In many Spanish-speaking regions, bocados are used as a generic label for a variety of small dishes that are eaten in one or a few bites.

Portions labeled bocados can be hot or cold and may feature meat, seafood, vegetables, cheese, or fruit, often assembled on spoons, skewers, tartlets, or little breads. They are commonly designed for tasting, sharing, or to complement beverages, and may be served as part of a larger meal or in casual settings such as tapas bars or parties.

Although the term is most widely used in Spanish-speaking contexts, bocados appear in menus internationally as a generic description for hors d'oeuvre or canapés. The concept overlaps with tapas, pinchos, and canapés, but bocados emphasizes the bite-sized nature rather than a particular regional tradition.

Historically, small portions have been a feature of Iberian and Mediterranean dining cultures, where social eating and shared dishes encourage sampling a variety of flavors in one sitting.