Where does paella come from?

It is undoubtedly one of the emblematic dishes of Spanish cuisine. Famous throughout the world, it is one of the tourist attractions of our country for lovers of gastronomy. There is no tourist who does not succumb to a good plate of paella.

history of paella

Paella arose in the rural areas of Valencia between the 15th and 16th centuries, due to the need of peasants and shepherds for an easy meal to prepare and with the ingredients they had on hand in the field. They always ate it in the afternoon.

It is not known if the seafood paella was born at the same time as the paella in the countryside, but next to the sea there are different ingredients that allowed this tasty alternative to develop.

In its origins the ingredients of the paella were, the birds, the field rabbit or hare, the fresh vegetables that were available, rice, saffron and olive oil that were mixed in the paella with the water and cooked slowly to a fire made with firewood from orange tree branches, which at the same time give flavor and a characteristic smell.

In the Spanish Levante, they tell a story dating back to the War of Independence about a French general, a paella and a woman who made it. The French general was so impressed by the aforementioned paella that they made a deal: for every new bowl of rice, the general would free a Spanish prisoner. The woman put her imagination and a great capacity for improvisation into action and she made a different paella every day. They say that she managed to free 176 prisoners.

The word ‘paella’

Many origins are given to the word ‘paella’. There are a lot of theories of where the word originated from. The first theory is that paella comes from Latin. Also, they believe that ‘paella’ comes from the Arabic word ‘baqiyah’.

It is possible that ‘paella’ is an Arabic word because rice was brought to Spain from the moors in the 8th century. The moors were how the inhabitants of North Africa were known.

Another theory is much more romantic. They say that there is a story in which a man prepared paella for his girlfriend to win his affection. In Spanish, ‘paella’ can be a derivation of the phrase “por ella” or “para ella”. Although this may just be a pretty story, there is some truth to this theory. In Spain, cooking is generally a woman’s job. However, paella is traditionally a men’s thing.

There is no single recipe

Paella is one of those dishes that admits practically any ingredient, each master uses the one he likes the most and there is never one paella the same as another. There is no recipe that unifies the great variety of possibilities of this dish.

The peasants used the snails they found in the field, the Valencian paella can also include rabbit, duck, chicken, meat, tomatoes, beans, peppers, courgette and onions. Saffron was added to give the dish more flavor and aroma.

There are many who prefer fish and shellfish and even mixed, dry paellas, rice dishes, this dish admits any combination.

‘Paella’ yes, ‘paellera’ no

As they say in the Valencian Community. Because ‘paellera’ would be the woman in charge of cooking it and not the container where it is cooked. In Valencia, the pan is called ‘paella’, hence the name of the most famous dish in Spanish cuisine. Although the Royal Spanish Academy of Language admits both meanings.

In short, the paella is nothing more than a frying pan, usually made of polished steel, to which the handle has been removed and in its place two handles have been attached to support the weight of the stew. It must have a minimum diameter of about 22 cm. and not very deep, with edges of 5 to 10 cm., depending on its diameter.

Theoretically, each paella is dimensioned for a quantity of rice, although the dimensions vary a lot according to the taste or way of preparing the paellas of each cook. Traditionally paella was eaten, and is eaten, in the same container in which it was cooked. All to save work.