Hello, everyone! I hope you’re all having an amazing day! On Saturday October Fifth, I visited the Mercat Central (the Central Market) of Valencia with my study abroad buddy, whose name is Yusuke. We went to the Mercat Central because we heard it was the best spot for fresh local produce and traditional meals. My friend and I were especially excited to try a traditional dish named paella! Valencia is the birthplace of paella, which has made the dish their pride and joy.
In Valencia, I found two main types of paella: paella valenciana and paella de mariscos (seafood paella). Paella valenciana contains rice, vegetables, and rabbit. Paella de mariscos also has rice, but in addition it has seafood like shrimp and squid. Although I mentioned two types of paella, there are many more variations found throughout Spain. Since my friend and I love seafood, we were excited to try the paella de mariscos!
As we explored the Mercat Central, Yusuke and I each bought a serving of paella de mariscos. The paella we bought was originally cooked in a huge pan, so the vendor used a large cooking spoon to serve it to us in a small plastic container. Each portion cost six euros, which is about 6.60 US dollars.
