Paella

Paella(/paɪˈɛlə/,/pɑːˈeɪjə/,py-EL-ə,pah-AY-yə,Valencian:[paˈeʎa];Spanish:[paˈeʝa]) is a rice dish originally from theValencian Community.Paellais regarded as one of the community's identifying symbols.It 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,paellabeing the word for afrying paninValencian/Catalan language. As a dish, it may have ancient roots, but in its modern form, it is traced back to the mid-19th century, in the rural area around theAlbuferalagoon adjacent to the city ofValencia, on the Mediterranean coast of Spain.
Paella valencianais the traditional paella of theValencia region, believed to be the original recipe, and consists of Valencian rice, olive oil, rabbit, chicken, saffron or a substitute, tomato, ferradura or flat green bean, lima beans (Phaseolus lunatus), salt and water.The dish is sometimes seasoned with wholerosemarybranches. Traditionally, the yellow color comes fromsaffron, butturmericandCalendulacan be used as substitutes.Artichokehearts and stems may be used as seasonal ingredients. Most paella cooks usebomba rice, but a cultivar known asseniais also used in the Valencia region.
Paella de marisco(seafoodpaella) replaces meat withseafoodand omits beans and green vegetables, whilepaella mixta(mixedpaella) combines meat fromlivestock,seafood,vegetables, and sometimesbeans, with the traditional rice.
Other popular local variations ofpaellaare cooked throughout the Mediterranean area, the rest of Spain, and internationally. In Spain,paellais traditionally included in restaurant menus on Thursdays.
Muslims inAl-Andalusbegan rice cultivation around the 10th century.Consequently, easternIberian Peninsulalocals often madecasserolesof rice, fish, and spices for family gatherings andreligious feasts, thus establishing the custom of eating rice in Spain. This led to rice becoming a staple by the 15th century. Afterward, it became customary for cooks to combine rice with vegetables, beans, and drycod, providing an acceptable meal forLent. Along Spain's Mediterranean coast, rice was predominantly eaten with fish.
Spanishfood historianLourdes March notes that the dish "symbolizes the union and heritage of two important cultures, theRoman, which gives us the utensil and theArabwhich brought us the basic food of humanity for centuries: rice."
Paellais a Valencian word that means frying pan,from which the dish gets its name.Valencian speakers use the wordpaellafor all pans, including the traditional shallow pan used for cooking thehomonymdish.The pan is made of polished or coated steel with two side handles.
In many regions ofSpainand otherSpanish-speaking countries, the termpaelleramay be used for the traditional pan, whilepaellais reserved for the rice dish prepared in it. Bothpaellaandpaelleraare correct terms for the pan.
According to the etymologistJoan Coromines, theCatalanwordpaelladerives from theOld Frenchwordpaelleforfrying pan, which in turn comes from theLatinwordpatellafor pan; he thinks that otherwise the word should bepadella, as inter-vowel -d- dropping is not typical of Old Catalan.
The wordpaellais also related topailaused in manyLatin Americancountries.PailainLatin American Spanishrefers to a variety of cookware resembling metal andclaypans, which are also used for both cooking and serving.
The Latin rootpatellafrom whichpaelladerives is also akin to themodern Frenchpoêle,the Italianpadella,and theOld Spanishpadilla.
Some claim that the wordpaellacomes from theArabicبَقَايَا, pronouncedbaqaayya, meaning "leftovers."This claim is based on the 8th-century custom in whichMoorishkings' servants would take home the rice, chicken, and vegetables their employers left at the end of the meal.It has been said, however, that a problem with this etymology is that the wordpaellais not attested until six centuries after Moorish Valencia was conquered byJames I.
Originally, paella made in Valencia was a lunchtime meal for farmers and farm laborers. Workers would gather what was available to them around the rice fields. This often included tomatoes, onions, and snails. Rabbit or duck was a common addition, or chicken less often.
On special occasions, 18th-century Valencians usedcalderosto cook the rice in the open air of their orchards near lakeAlbufera.Water volemeat was one of the main ingredients of early paellas,along witheelandbutter beans. NovelistVicente Blasco Ibáñezdescribed the Valencia custom of eatingwater volesinCañas y Barro(1902), a realistic novel about life among the fishermen and peasants near lake Albufera.
Living standards rose with the sociological changes of the late 19th century in Spain, giving rise to gatherings and outings in the countryside. This led to a change in paella's ingredients, as well, using instead rabbit, chicken, duck, and sometimes snails. The dish became so popular that in 1840, a local Spanish newspaper first used the wordpaellato refer to the recipe rather than the pan, according to food historianLynne Olver.
The most widely used, complete ingredient list of this era was: short-grain white rice, chicken, rabbit, snails (optional), duck (optional),butter beans,great northern beans,runner beans,artichoke(a substitute for runner beans in the winter),tomatoes, fresh rosemary, sweetpaprika,saffron,garlic(optional), salt, olive oil, and water.Poorer Valencians sometimes used only snails for meat.Many Valencians insist that no more than these ingredients should go into making modernpaella valenciana, and, in particular, that fish and shellfish are "absolutely out of the question."Another important rule, according to Valencians, is that fresh rosemary should not be added topaella valencianamade with rosemary-eating snails.
On theMediterraneancoast, Valencian fishermen used seafood instead of meat and beans to make paella. In this recipe, the seafood is served in the shell. Later, Spaniards living outside of Valencia combined seafood with meat from land animals, and mixedpaellawas born.Thispaellais sometimes calledpreparación barroca(baroque preparation) due to the variety of ingredients and its final presentation.
During the 20th century, paella's popularity spread past Spain's borders. As other cultures set out to make paella, the dish invariably acquired regional influences. Consequently,paellarecipes went from being relatively simple to including a wide variety of seafood, meat, sausage (includingchorizo),vegetables and many different seasonings.
Throughout non-Valencia Spain, some restaurants providing this mixed version refer to it asPaella valenciana. However, Valencians insist that only the original two Valencia recipes are authentic.
OtherValencianrecipes with similar preparations arearròs a bandaandarròs del senyoret.
According to tradition inValencia,paellais cooked over an open fire, fueled by orange tree and pine branches and pine cones.This produces an aromatic smoke which infuses thepaella.Also, dining guests traditionally eat directly out of the pan instead of serving in plates.
Some recipes call forpaellato be covered and left to settle for five to ten minutes after cooking.
After cookingpaella, a layer ofscorched ricemay be at the bottom of the pan, calledsocarratinValencià. The layer develops on its own if thepaellais cooked over a burner or open fire. This is traditionally considered positive (as long as it is not burnt), andValencianatives enjoy eating it.
Arroz a la valenciana(Spanish) orArroz à valenciana(Portuguese) is considered as a part ofPhilippine cuisine. It is considered as the Philippine version of paella.
The Philippine version usesglutinous rice; otherwise, the ingredients are the same. In the Philippines,arroz a la valencianarefers to chicken, andlongganisa(chorizo) versions.
It has become a custom at mass gatherings in theValencia region(festivals, political campaigns, protests, etc.) to prepare enormous paellas, sometimes to win a place in theGuinness World Recordsbook. Chefs use gargantuanpaellerasfor these events.
Valenciarestaurateur Juan Galbis claims to have made the world's largestpaellawith help from a team of workers on 2 October 2001. Thispaellafed about 110,000 people, according to Galbis' former website.Galbis says thispaellawas even larger than his earlier world-recordpaellamade on 8 March 1992, which fed about 100,000 people. Galbis' record-breaking 1992paellais listed inGuinness World Records.
Some non-Spanish chefs includechorizoin their paellas and other ingredients, which Valencians believe do not belong inpaellaof any type. The alternative name proposed for these dishes, although pejorative, isarroz con cosas('rice with things'). Famous cases areJamie Oliver'spaellarecipe (which included chorizo)andGordon Ramsay's.The authorJosep Plaonce noted: "The abuses committed in the name of Paella Valenciana are excessive – an absolute scandal."
However, in an article forEl País, Spanish food writer Ana Vega 'Biscayenne', citing historical references, showed that traditional Valencian paella did indeed include chorizo, exclaiming, "Ah Jamie, we'll have to invite you to theFalles."
In 2015, anemojiforpaellawas proposed toUnicode.Theemojiwas approved for Unicode 9.0 asU+1F958 "SHALLOW PAN OF FOOD"in June 2016.Apple Inc.'s version of the emoji originally depicted Paella de marisco, but was later changed to a more traditional appearance with chicken after online controversy.
TraditionalValencian cuisineoffers recipes similar topaella valencianaandpaella de mariscosuch asarròs negre,arròs al forn,arròs a bandaandarròs amb fesols i napssince rice is the base of much of the local cuisine.
Fideuàis a Valencianpastanoodle dish variation cooked similarly in apaella. It may be served withalliolisauce.
Other related dishes: