It is definitely not a traditional way of eating the wonderful dish, but it makes everything taste so good!
Usually, paella is made for big groups in a large pan made specifically for cooking this dish. The most traditional type of paella is Valencian paella, which is made with rice, chicken, rabbit, tomato, green beans and beans, along with an assortment of spices. While I have never made this paella myself, I understand that it has to be cooked very hot and very quickly. In the most traditional fashion, the paella will be cooked over a fire in the large pan and then served in the same pan it was cooked in. This is because the bottom burnt rice is known to be the best part of the meal.
This colorful dish reflects Spain's colorful history and natural environment. In the past, paella was eaten by farmers and workers during lunch as a fast food for a large group. The paella was made up of what could be found in the countryside, which was usually vegetables like tomatoes, onions and green beans, along with meat like a rabbit or chicken. Sometimes they would also add snails.
The dish itself comes from Valencia, which is located in Eastern Spain and very close to the Mediterranean port where there were arroz (rice) farms. And like a lot of the words in the Spanish language, both arroz and the word paella are a variation of Arabic words.
Nowadays, paella is popular at restaurants in Spain and with tourists, but is still cooked at home on weekends or holidays.
