This Monday, September 20, 2021, World Paella Day is celebrated. It is, without a doubt, one of the most representative dishes of Spanish gastronomy. This festival was born just two years ago, in 2018, and takes place in September because it is the time to harvest rice, the key ingredient in paella.
Name’s origin
There are two theories about the origin of the word “paella”. The most accepted of all is the one that indicates that it comes from Latin since frying pan in this language is written «patella». The word “paella” translates as frying pan in Valencian .
History of paella
The origin of paella dates back to the 15th and 16th centuries in the rural areas of Valencia. Peasants and shepherds needed food that was easy to prepare, and that they could make with the ingredients they had on hand in the field.
The paella was made with rice, field rabbit, hare or poultry , fresh local vegetables, saffron and olive oil. All these ingredients were mixed and simmered on orange tree branches.
As incredible as it may seem, in some areas of the Albufera the rat became very popular as an ingredient in paella since it was a very nutritious animal and it was easy to access.
Rice varieties
Currently, there are three varieties of rice that are admitted with Denomination of Origin: bahia, senia and bomba . Bahia and senia are traditional rice dishes, which are very creamy and absorb the flavors wonderfully. For its part, bomba, although it has a less creamy texture, offers the great advantage that it does not pass during cooking.
Paella
The paella pan doesn’t exist! The shallow round metal container where the paella is made is called the same as the plate: paella. Tradition says that it is eaten unplated and with a wooden spoon.
Spanish dish
On the occasion of World Paella Day, it should be noted that it is the most searched Spanish dish on the Internet . What’s more, it occupies the fourth position in the world TOP 5, behind pizza, sushi and risotto.
Emoji
And finally, it is interesting to know that when Apple released a paella emoji it created a stir because it had shrimp and peas. The American company was forced to rectify.
