Sobremesa (

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Cana ...

: “upon the table”) is the Hispanic

tradition A tradition is a belief or behavior (folk custom) passed down within a group or society with symbolic meaning or special significance with origins in the past. A component of cultural expressions and folklore, common examples include holidays or ...

of relaxing at the table after a heavy meal. It begins after

dessert Dessert is a course (food), course that concludes a meal. The course consists of sweet foods, such as confections, and possibly a beverage such as dessert wine and liqueur. In some parts of the world, such as much of Greece and West Africa, and ...

is served, and typically lasts between half an hour and an hour. During

summer Summer is the hottest of the four temperate seasons, occurring after spring and before autumn. At or centred on the summer solstice, the earliest sunrise and latest sunset occurs, daylight hours are longest and dark hours are shortest, wit ...

time and holidays, the practice tends to last longer. The 'sobremesa hour' is one of Spain's main TV primetimes. In general, physical activity is avoided during this break, and conversation is freely had. Depending on the habits of the area or country in question,

coffee Coffee is a drink prepared from roasted coffee beans. Darkly colored, bitter, and slightly acidic, coffee has a stimulant, stimulating effect on humans, primarily due to its caffeine content. It is the most popular hot drink in the world. S ...

tea Tea is an aromatic beverage prepared by pouring hot or boiling water over cured or fresh leaves of '' Camellia sinensis'', an evergreen shrub native to East Asia which probably originated in the borderlands of southwestern China and northe ...

, or a small

liqueur A liqueur (; ; ) is an alcoholic drink composed of spirits (often rectified spirit) and additional flavorings such as sugar, fruits, herbs, and spices. Often served with or after dessert, they are typically heavily sweetened and un-aged beyond ...

or fire-water spirit (in a

shot glass A shot glass is a glass originally designed to hold or measure spirits or liquor, which is either imbibed straight from the glass ("a shot") or poured into a cocktail ("a drink"). An alcoholic beverage served in a shot glass and typically con ...

) is generally served, or a

cigar A cigar is a rolled bundle of dried and fermented tobacco leaves made to be smoked. Cigars are produced in a variety of sizes and shapes. Since the 20th century, almost all cigars are made of three distinct components: the filler, the binder l ...

may be smoked. In countries such as Spain, the after-dinner activity period tends to be enjoyed with the coffee, liqueur, and cigar trilogy.

References

*Pascul, Carlos Gastromy Guide of Spain (First edition), Madrid: Al-Bo1. Pascul, Carlos (1977), Gastrorak, 369 pp.n *{{cite web , author1=Mike Randolph , title=A uniquely Spanish part of the meal , url=http://www.bbc.com/travel/story/20180424-a-uniquely-spanish-part-of-the-meal , date=25 April 2018, publisher=BBC Travel Spanish culture