Rice in Valencia
Rice was brought to eastern Spain during the centuries of Moorish rule, and the wetlands around the Albufera lagoon near Valencia became a major rice-growing area. Farm workers cooked rice outdoors over wood fires with whatever was to hand.
The pan gave its name
In Valencian, paella means frying pan, from the Latin patella. The wide, shallow, two-handled pan gave its name to the dish cooked in it.
Countryside to coast
The inland version used chicken, rabbit, beans and sometimes snails. On the coast, seafood paellas developed, and mixed versions combining the two followed.
A dish for gatherings
Paella has always been food for groups: cooked outdoors on Sundays and at fiestas, and eaten straight from the pan. That’s why it suits weddings, parties and festivals so well.
Paella in Britain
Paella became familiar to many British people through holidays in Spain, and it’s now a staple of street-food markets and festivals across the UK.
The Sunday paella
In much of Spain, paella is a lunchtime dish, often cooked at weekends for family and friends. Eating it at night is less traditional, though common at celebrations.
World Paella Day
Paella now has its own celebration day, held each year in September, which shows how far the dish has travelled from the rice fields of Valencia.
Why history matters at your event
Part of the appeal of live paella is the story. Guests enjoy knowing that the dish they’re watching cook comes from farm workers in the rice fields around Valencia, cooking over open fires and eating straight from the pan. It’s food designed for sharing, which is exactly what a party or wedding is about.
Read more about socarrat, saffron and paella rice.
A dish that travelled
From Valencia, paella spread across Spain and then around the world. Every region and every family has its own version, and recipes outside Spain often include ingredients Valencians would never use. That variety is part of what makes paella such a good party dish: there’s a version for every taste.
Today
Paella is now cooked all over the world. In Valencia, there are still strong opinions about what makes a real one. Read about paella Valenciana.
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