Trying a culture's traditional dishes is one of the most enriching experiences one can ask for. Paella is the national dish of Spain with a history that goes back hundreds of years.
I tried paella which is a rice dish. Hungry farmworkers in Valencia invented the dish around the 16th century by combining ingredients made available to them such as rice, tomatoes, onions, snails and beans. Slowly but surely, as Valencian rice became more widely available, paella recipes adapted to new variations such as seafood, chicken, vegetarian or black paella. I tried the paella mixta (mixed paella) as well as a meat paella with chicken and beef.
I fell in love with this mouth-watering dish. It tasted outrageously delicious and overwhelmingly flavorful in the best possible way. Before I arrived in Spain, I was not a seafood lover. After I tried this iconic international dish for the first time, I was left speechless. I felt absolutely overjoyed and blissful being absorbed by such a staple and unique aromatic dish with rich history; it was unlike anything I have ever tried before.
