Sandra Piddock
Guru
Everyone thinks paella is rice, seafood and peppers, but the original paella - like many Spanish favourites - started life as peasant food. The rice workers of Valencia were given as much free rice as they wanted to supplement their meagre wages, and they used to catch rabbits, ducks and snails and throw in beans to add flavour and filling power. Those who lived near the coast added fish scraps to the rice, and cheap seafood such as mussels and clams.
When the tourist boom hit Spain in the 1960s, enterprising restaurant owners came up with a more luxurious version - Paella Marinara, or seafood paella, but the origins are much more humble. If you ever visit Valencia, order a true Paella Valenciana, and have a taste of history.
When the tourist boom hit Spain in the 1960s, enterprising restaurant owners came up with a more luxurious version - Paella Marinara, or seafood paella, but the origins are much more humble. If you ever visit Valencia, order a true Paella Valenciana, and have a taste of history.
What's your favourite paella? Mine is rabbit and chicken - I can't do snails!
