Paella

Country Of Origin: Spain 🇪🇸

Paella is a rice dish originally from the Valencian Community. It is regarded as one of the community's identifying symbols and is one of the best-known dishes in Spanish cuisine. The dish takes its name from the wide, shallow traditional pan used to cook the dish on an open fire. Paella, being the word for a frying pan in Valencian/Catalan language Is a dish that may have ancient roots, but in its modern form, it is traced back to the mid-19th century. The famous seafood dish originates from the rural area around the Albufera lagoon adjacent to the city of Valencia, on the Mediterranean coast of Spain. Paella Valenciana is the traditional paella of the Valencia region, believed to be the original recipe, and consists of round-grain rice, bajoqueta and tavella (varieties of green beans), rabbit, chicken, sometimes duck, and garrofó (a variety of lima or butter bean), which is then cooked in olive oil and chicken broth.The dish is sometimes seasoned with whole rosemary branches. Traditionally, the yellow color comes from saffron, but turmeric and Calendula can be used as substitutes. Artichoke hearts and stems may be used as seasonal ingredients. Most paella cooks use bomba rice, but Valencians tend to use a cultivar known as senia.

History: Moors in Muslim Spain began rice cultivation around the 10th century and consequently, eastern Iberian Peninsula locals often made casseroles of rice, fish, and spices for family gatherings and religious feasts. This in turn established the custom of eating rice in Spain, which eventually led to rice becoming a staple by the 15th century. Afterward, it became customary for cooks to combine rice with vegetables, beans, and dry cod, providing an acceptable meal for Lent. Along Spain's Mediterranean coast, rice was predominantly eaten with fish. Spanish food historian Lourdes March notes that the dish "symbolizes the union and heritage of two important cultures, the Roman, which gives us the utensil and the Arab which brought us the basic food of humanity for centuries: rice."

Our Favorite Recipe: https://tastesbetterfromscratch.com/paella/

The best way to make Paella is in a big round pan that sits atop a burner and simmers to perfection to combine all the flavors from the dish. The Machika Paella Pan Set with Burner Carbon Steel Outdoor Pan and Legs is the best one we ever used and really give off the authenticity that the legendary dish deserves. For a more budget friendly version of this set, you can always try the Grill Force Paella Pan Paella Burner and Stand Set. As long as you have a Machika Enamel Paella Pan, all will go exactly according to plan. If you're not really in the mood to spend all the money and time it takes to whip up a bog pan of Paella, you can always try the ready to eat version of the dish called Vigo Authentic Paella Valenciana Yellow Rice and Seafood Dinner. Want to explore over 50 dishes of Paella and enjoy all the possible deliciousness it can offer? Paella The Original One Pan Dish Over 50 Recipes for the Spanish Classic is an awesome Paella based cookbook that offers all kinds of creative variation of this classic meal.

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