Food Fact Friday: Paella Por Favor

Today is National Paella Day (Ole.....Ole Ole Ole!). I haven't eaten all that much to be honest, but I'm sure my sister has. She lived in Spain for about 6 months and loved the food there. This one's for you Andi!

Paella is a rice dish which originated in Spain's Valencian region. Many non-Spaniards view paella as a Spanish dish. Most Spaniards however, consider it to be a regional Valencian dish.


There are three widely known types of paella: Valencian paella (paella valenciana), seafood paella (paella de mariscos) and mixed paella (paella mixta); but there are many others as well. Traditional Valencian paella consists of white rice, green vegetables, meat, escargot, beans and seasoning. Seafood paella replaces meat and snails with seafood and omits beans and green vegetables. Mixed paella is a free-style combination of meat, seafood and sometimes beans.

Paella is a Catalan word which derives from the Latin word patella for pan. Valencians use the word paella for all pans, including the specialized 2-handled shallow pan used for cooking paellas (this pan is also known as a paellera).


The Moorish people of southeastern Spain 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. Afterward many combined rice with vegetables, beans and dry cod, providing an acceptable meal for Lent. Fish always predominated with rice along Spain's eastern coast.

On special occasions, 18th century Valencians used paelleras to cook rice in the open air of their orchards. The marsh rat (yes, a rat!) was one of the main ingredients of early paellas, along with eel and butter beans.

Living standards rose with the sociological changes of the late 19th century in Spain, giving rise to reunions and outings in the countryside. By then the original ingredients were replaced by rabbit, chicken, duck, seafood and sometimes snails. This dish became so popular that in 1840 a local Spanish newspaper first used the phrase paella valenciana to refer to the recipe. Also during this time, Spaniards came to Louisiana and brought the paella recipe with them, but substituted local ingredients, creating Jambalaya.


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 and sausage (the most popular being Spanish, chorizo).

Paella Pandemonium: Valencian restaurateur Juan Galbis claims to have made the world's largest paella in 2001. This paella fed about 110,000 people.