Paella
Paella (, , , , , ) is a rice dish originally from Valencia. While it is commonly viewed by non-Spaniards as Spain's national dish, Spaniards almost unanimously consider it to be a dish from the Valencian region. Valencians, in turn, regard "paella" as one of their 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, "paella" being the word for a frying pan in Valencia's regional 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 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) 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". Paella de marisco (seafood "paella") replaces meat with seafood and omits beans and green vegetables, while paella mixta (mixed "paella") combines meat from livestock, seafood, vegetables, and sometimes beans, with the traditional rice. Other popular local variations of "paella" are cooked all through the Mediterranean area, the rest of Spain and internationally. History. Possible origins. Moors in Muslim Spain began rice cultivation around the 10th century. Consequently, eastern Iberian  Península locals often made casseroles of rice, fish, and spices for family gatherings and religious feasts, thus establishing the custom of eating rice in Spain. This led to rice becoming a staple by the 15th century. Afterwards, 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." Naming, etymology and "paellera". "Paella" is a Valencian word that means frying pan, from which the dish gets its name. Valencian speakers use the word "paella" for all pans, including the traditional shallow pan used for cooking the homonym dish. The pan is made out of polished or coated steel with two side handles."" In many regions of Spain and other Spanish-speaking countries, the term "paellera" may be used for the traditional pan, while "paella" is reserved for the rice dish prepared in it. Both "paella" and "paellera" are correct terms for  the pan. According to the etymologist Joan Coromines, the Catalan word "paella" should derive from the Old French word "paelle" for frying pan, which in turn comes from the Latin word "patella" for pan; he thinks that otherwise the word should be "padella", as inter-vowel -d- dropping is not typical of Old Catalan. The word "paella" is also related to "paila" used in many Latin American countries. "Paila" in Latin American Spanish refers to a variety of cookware resembling metal and clay pans, which are also used for both cooking and serving. The Latin root "patella" from which "paella  derives is also akin to the modern French poêle", the Italian "padella," and the Old Spanish "padilla". Some claim that the word "paella" comes from the Arabic , pronounced "baqaayya", meaning "leftovers". This claim is based on the 8th-century custom in which Moorish kings' 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 word "paella" is not attested until six centuries after Moorish Valencia was conquered by James I. Section::::"Paella Valenciana". 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 used "calderos" to cook the rice in the open air of their orchards near lake Albufera. Water vole meat was one of the main ingredients of early paellas, along with eel and butter beans. Novelist Vicente Blasco Ibáñez described the Valencia custom of eating water voles in "Cañas 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. This dish became so popular that in 1840, a local Spanish newspaper first used the word "paella" to refer to the recipe rather than the pan. 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, sweet paprika, saffron, garlic (optional), salt, olive oil, and water. Poorer Valencians, however, sometimes used only snails for meat. Many Valencians insist that no more than these ingredients should go into making modern "paella 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 to "paella valenciana" made with rosemary-eating snails. Seafood and mixed "paella". On the Mediterranean coast, 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 mixed "paella" was born. This "paella" is sometimes called "preparación 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, "paella" recipes went from being relatively simple to including a wide variety of seafood, meat, sausage (including chorizo), vegetables and  many different seasonings. However, the most globally popular recipe is seafood paella. Throughout non-Valencia Spain, mixed "paella" is relatively easy to find. Some restaurants both in Spain and abroad that serve this mixed version refer to it as "Paella valenciana". However, Valencians insist that only the original two Valencia recipes are authentic, and generally view all others as inferior, not genuine or even grotesque. Other Valencian recipes that have similar preparations are "arròs a banda" and "arròs del senyoret." Basic cooking methods. According to tradition in Valencia, "paella" is cooked over an open fire, fueled by orange and pine  branches along with pine cones. This produces an aromatic smoke which infuses the "paella". Also, dining guests traditionally eat directly out of the pan instead of serving in plates. Some recipes call for "paella" to be covered and left to settle for five to ten minutes after cooking. After cooking "paella", there may be a layer of roasted rice at the bottom of the pan, called "socarrat" in Valencià. The layer develops on its own if the "paella" is cooked over a burner or open fire. This is traditionally considered positive (as long as it is not scorched) and Valencia  natives enjoy eating it. Section::::"Paella valenciana". This recipe is standardized because Valencia originals consider it traditional and very much part of their culture. Rice in "paella valenciana" is never braised in oil, as pilaf, though the "paella" made further southwest of Valencia often is. Some people enjoy garnishing their served plate with freshly squeezed lemon. Section::::"Paella de marisco" (Seafood "paella"). Recipes for this dish vary somewhat, even in Valencia. The recipe below is based on the two sources cited here. Section::::"Paella mixta" (Mixed "paella"). There are countless mixed "paella" recipes. The following method is common to most of these. Seasoning  depends greatly on individual preferences and regional influences. However, salt, saffron, and garlic are almost always included. Variants. Philippines. "Arroz a la valenciana" (Spanish) or "Arroz à valenciana" (Portuguese) is considered as a part of Philippine cuisine. It is considered as the Philippine version of paella. The Philippine version uses glutinous rice, otherwise the ingredients are the same. In the Philippines, "arroz a la valenciana" refers to chicken, and "longganisa" ("chorizo") versions. In popular culture. Competitions and records. It has become a custom at mass gatherings in the Valencia region (festivals, political campaigns, protests, etc.) to prepare enormous paellas, sometimes  to win a place in the "Guinness World Records" book. Chefs use gargantuan "paelleras" for these events. Valencia restaurateur Juan Galbis claims to have made the world's largest "paella" with help from a team of workers on 2 October 2001. This "paella" fed about 110,000 people according to Galbis' former website. Galbis says this "paella" was even larger than his earlier world-record "paella" made on 8 March 1992, which fed about 100,000 people. Galbis' record-breaking 1992 "paella" is listed in "Guinness World Records". Controversial representations. Some non-Spanish chefs include chorizo in their paellas along with other  ingredients which Valencia people believe do not belong in "paella" of any type. The alternative name proposed for these dishes, although pejorative, is ('rice with things'). Famous cases are Jamie Oliver's "paella" recipe (which included chorizo) and Gordon Ramsay's. The author Josep Pla once noted: However, in an article for "El 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 the Falles". Emoji. In 2015, an emoji for "paella" was proposed to Unicode. The emoji was approved for  Unicode 9.0 as in June 2016. Although it is generally rendered as paella, Samsung has rendered the symbol as a Korean hot pot. Related dishes. Traditional Valencian cuisine offers recipes similar to "paella valenciana" and "paella de marisco" such as "arròs negre", "arròs al forn", "arròs a banda" and "arròs amb fesols i naps", since rice is the base of much of the local cuisine. Fideuà is a Valencian pasta noodle dish variation cooked in a similar fashion in a "paella". It may be served with allioli sauce. Other related dishes: