Short-grain rice, like Bomba or Calasparra, is added to the pan and mixed with the sautéed vegetables to absorb all those delicious flavors.
Now it’s time for the broth, often made with chicken or seafood stock, along with spices like saffron and paprika. The cook pours the broth over the rice and adds the main ingredients, which can include chicken, rabbit, seafood, or a mix of both. Once everything is in the pan, it’s left to simmer without stirring, allowing the rice to soak up all the flavors while forming that delicious crispy layer at the bottom, known as socarrat.
The final touch? A sprinkle of fresh herbs and maybe some lemon wedges on the side! Once it’s ready, the paella is served straight from the pan, making it a communal dish that everyone can enjoy together.
Paella is very connected to Spain, especially in Valencia, where it comes from! The dish shows off what’s grown and caught nearby. Valencia has lots of farms that grow fresh vegetables like tomatoes, green beans, and peppers, which are often added to paella.
The rice used in paella is grown in special wetlands near Valencia. These wetlands are like a big, watery garden perfect for growing rice! Plus, there’s the Mediterranean Sea nearby, where fishermen catch all kinds of yummy seafood like shrimp and mussels.
When people make paella, they like to use the freshest ingredients from the land and sea. This means that the flavors in paella come straight from the area, making it special and tasty. So, when you eat paella, you’re also getting a taste of the beautiful farms and the sea around Valencia!
