LA PAELLA DE MARISCO

Paella is a traditional dish of Spanish cuisine based on rice, saffron, vegetables, meat or seafood. It is native to the Valencian Community and subsequently spread throughout Spain, gaining popularity abroad, particularly in the Mediterranean basin and in Latin America.

Etymologically, the Valencian word paella derives from the Latin patella, originally the term indicated a large and shallow iron pan, equipped with two opposite handles, which was used in the Valencian Community to cook various dishes based on rice or fedelini (a pasta similar to spaghetti). Extension of the term paella to indicate the dish prepared using the tool, the latter has taken the name of paellera, which however in the Valencian Community indicates the person in charge of preparing the dish.



Paella is circular in shape, and differs from other pans for its size: the depth is about five to six centimeters, while the diameter varies according to the number of diners. It was born as a "recovery dish", and therefore can be customized according to the ingredients available or in season. The recipe for Valencian paella includes: rice, browning of marinated meat, usually chicken and rabbit, green vegetables such as green beans, tomatoes, peppers and beans, to which are added snails, broth and spices, such as saffron and rosemary.
The most common variant is the one based on seafood (paella de marisco in Spanish), spread on the Mediterranean coasts, which replaces the meat with crustaceans and molluscs, such as scampi and cuttlefish, and the broth with crustacean fumet.



World Paella Day is celebrated on 20 September each year.