Learn the history, traditions, and facts about some of the ingredients typically used in Spanish cuisine and a key to Real Paella.
A country of regional kitchens
Spain is made up of seventeen autonomous communities, and each one cooks a little differently. The north is known for seafood and stews, the center for roast meats and cured hams, and the south for fried fish and cold soups like gazpacho. What ties them together is a love of simple, high quality ingredients and long meals shared with family and friends.
Valencia, the home of paella
Paella comes from Valencia, on Spain’s eastern Mediterranean coast. Rice has been grown in the wetlands around the Albufera lagoon, just south of the city, since the Moors brought it to the region more than a thousand years ago, and Albufera rice is still prized for paella today. The dish takes its name from the wide, shallow pan it is cooked in: “paella” is the Valencian word for that pan.
The original paella valenciana was a farmers’ meal of rice, chicken, rabbit, green beans and white beans, cooked outdoors over a wood fire and eaten straight from the pan. Seafood and mixed versions came later along the coast. Every good paella is judged by its socarrat, the thin layer of toasted rice that forms on the bottom of the pan.
The flavors of the Spanish pantry
- Azafrán (saffron) gives paella its golden color and aroma. Spain’s saffron comes mostly from La Mancha.
- Pimentón is Spanish paprika, often smoked over oak, and is the backbone of chorizo.
- Olive oil is used in almost every dish. Spain is the largest olive oil producer in the world.
- Jamón serrano and queso Manchego, the sheep’s milk cheese of La Mancha, are classic tapas.
- SangrÃa, red wine with fruit, is the traditional drink to share alongside a paella.
Bringing it to your event
At Real Paella we cook paella the Valencian way, in large pans over an open flame, cooked on-site at your event. If you would like a taste of Spain at your wedding, party or corporate event, request a quote and we will help you plan the menu.
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