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"La paella" is a cooking utensil, traditionally and preferably made of iron, but now often made of stainless steel. The base of the paella is flat and should be of a good thickness. The pan is circular and shallow, and has two round handles on opposite sides. The word itself is old Valencian and probably has its roots in the Latin 'patella' (a flat basket in Galicia). The Castilian 'paila' and the French 'paele' mean the same thing. |
During the centuries following the establishment of rice in Spain, the peasants of Valencia would use the paella pan to cook rice with easily available ingredients from the countryside: tomatoes, onions and snails. On special occasions rabbit or duck might be included, and the better-off could afford chicken. Little by little this 'Valencian rice' became more widely known. By the end of the nineteenth century 'paella valenciana' had established itself.
Types of Paella
These are the varieties of paella you are likely to encounter. In addition to the ingredients below (and of course, the rice), the paella will also include some vegetables.
Paella Valenciana is the original paella and is made from chicken, pork and/or rabbit
Paella Marisco Seafood paella. The fact that paella Valenciana came first is not to say the seafood version is not ‘authentic’. It will usually contain prawns, mussels and calamares (squid).
Paella Mixta is a mixture of meat and seafood.
Paella Vegetal or Vegetariana Spanish cuisine has broken from its typical mentality by providing a vegetarian paella as well!
Paella Negra Seafood pasta cooked in squid ink.
Paella Fideus Paella made with a fine pasta instead of rice.
