Every part of Spain has its own food. Each Spanish region has unique dishes that are totally different from what can be found anywhere else. In Madrid, for example, they usually eat tripe, in Barcelona bread with tomato, and in Valencia paella.

For that reason, when talking about traditional Spanish food, you have to be careful. Spain does not have just one cuisine, but many regional cuisines. Only the most famous dishes that have conquered thousands of palates are made throughout Spain. Of course, you will find the traditional dishes of each region when you visit that same region. Spanish omelette, Iberian ham, gazpacho, tapas and paella are some of the best-known examples. They are dishes that can practically be found all over Spain and of very good quality, but that have their origin in different regions of the country.

But paella has something special: although it was born in Valencia, over time it became an international image of Spain. For many people from abroad, thinking about Spanish food means thinking about a large, colorful paella served in the center of the table.

The thing is that, being such a famous dish and being cooked all over the world, many versions of it have been made. Now any rice with ingredients is called paella anywhere without really knowing the original.

Paella is that typical dish with rice, vegetables and meat that can be seen in the large dishes called paella pans. But surely you have also wondered why it is called paella. Well, the name of this dish is received thanks to the large and round pan where it is made. This large, round and not very high pan is called a paella pan. Without it, paella would not have that characteristic flavor.

The word paella comes from vulgar Latin “patella”. Which in a few words means pan or dish. The paella pan is a very characteristic pan that makes the rice have a very pleasant cooking.

Over time, the name of the recipient also became the name of the dish. And a quite curious fact is that the paella pan is only used to make paella. You will not find any other dish in the world made in a paella pan.

As we have said before, thanks to the paella pan, the meat, the vegetables and the rice mix correctly. Also, the diameter and height make the water evaporate at the correct time. This causes the rice to be made in a very characteristic way that is only paella.

It is said that paella was born in those times when Christopher Columbus was discovering the Americas. In that time of feudal lords and kings and peasants, paella was born as a dish for the poorest people in the region. And the thing is that rice cultivation was just beginning in Spain but quickly gained popularity. This was because planting rice was extremely cheap and any peasant with just a little bit of land could do it. It is said that around the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries was when this traditional dish began to be cooked in the Albufera region of Valencia. Since that time, the long dish that we see today known as a paella pan was used. This name comes from the Latin batella, which precisely refers to the flat and wide pan in which it is currently cooked.

The peasants of that time gave everything they planted to the feudal lords. They usually kept very few of the products they harvested, and these were the same ones they put into the paella. The original paella recipe has been maintained from centuries ago until today. An authentic and traditional recipe will have the same countryside ingredients that were used in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. Among the ingredients that stand out are olive oil, sea salt, saffron, vegetables and chicken or rabbit.

Paella valenciana is the most emblematic dish of Valencia and one of the best-known Spanish recipes in the world. But its international fame has also caused a lot of confusion.

Because of this international fame, you will find thousands of recipes that are not usually even similar to what a good original paella is. It is very common to find recipes that include prawns, mussels, chicken, chorizo, peppers, onion or even spicy ingredients. Most of these ingredients would never form, and have never formed, part of the traditional recipe for paella valenciana. It should be emphasized that these rice dishes that you can make with this recipe may turn out quite good, but they are definitely not even close to what a good paella could be.

The original recipe directly from Valencia

The classic Valencian recipe is based on land ingredients: chicken, rabbit, flat green beans, garrofó, tomato, rice, olive oil, water, salt and saffron. In some areas or seasons, ingredients such as rosemary, snails or artichoke may also appear, but always within a local and traditional logic. In fact, it is well known by Valencian people that an authentic paella uses sea water. And although it may seem strange to you, it makes a lot of sense because sea water has salt and certain minerals that will give it an incomparable flavor that you will not be able to achieve with common kitchen salt or sea salt.

This is one of the great secrets to making a good paella: living near the coast. It is also true that with the increase in microplastics. You will not be able to add just any kind of water, so the sea must be located in almost virgin areas so that you obtain good-quality ingredients.

The technique is extremely essential. It will not give you the same flavor if you brown the meat first as if you brown it at the end. If you combine it with the broth before making the rice. If you want to learn more about the correct technique, remember that in paella cooking classes Valencia you can make it every day. This way you will be able to learn the correct technique to make a finger-licking paella.