Paella is a Spanish rice dish cooked slowly in a wide shallow pan, traditionally over an open fire. It began as a rural laborers' dish among rice farmers in the Albufera wetlands south of Valencia, made from whatever was on hand. Valencian tradition holds that authentic paella valenciana carries rabbit, chicken and local vegetables or beans, never seafood, and that the now common seafood paella, though popular worldwide, is a later variant that purists reject as inauthentic to the Valencian name. The exact year of the dish's origin is not fixed by the sources.
Facts
Origin RegionSourced to the subject's own accountValencian Community, Spain 1 Origin Period, To (Year)Sourced to the subject's own accountMarks 1840, when a local Spanish newspaper first used the word paella for the recipe rather than the pan, per food historian Lynne Olver as cited by the source; closes the origin period the origin-start-year fact opens at the 15th-century Albufera farmers theory, and matches the source's own statement that the modern form is traced to the mid-19th century near the Albufera de Valencia lagoon. Disputed
Origin Period, From (Year)Sourced to the subject's own accountMarks the 15th century per the theory that Albufera rice farmers near Valencia invented paella; the source frames this as one likely theory, not a settled date, hence Status debated. FAQs
Should paella be stirred while it cooks?
Not much. Leaving the rice undisturbed helps it absorb the liquid evenly and form a golden crust.
Not much, according to one simple home recipe. A BBC Good Food Test Kitchen tip says that once the stock is added the rice should not be stirred too much. Letting it cook undisturbed helps the grains absorb the liquid evenly and encourages a golden crust on the bottom of the pan.
Connections
Expresses Tradition
Source Paella (Wikipedia)
In Cuisine
Source Paella, Rice With Everything (Smithsonian Magazine)Derek Workman
Uses Ingredient
Source Paella, Rice With Everything (Smithsonian Magazine)Derek Workman
Source Paella, Rice With Everything (Smithsonian Magazine)Derek Workman
In the Other Atlases
Originated In
Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject originated.
Sources
1. Paella (Wikipedia)
WikipediaIntroduction
Paella is regarded as one of the community's identifying symbols.
Pronunciation
Paella is a Valencian word that means frying pan, from which the dish gets its name.
History
One likely theory is that paella was invented by Albufera rice farmers in the 15th century.
Introduction
Paella ( py-EL-ə, pah-AY-yə; Valencian: [paˈeʎa]; Spanish: [paˈeʎa] or [paˈeʝa]) is a rice dish originally from the Valencian Community.
History (existing citation)
One likely theory is that paella was invented by Albufera rice farmers in the 15th century.
Wikipedia body text, 1840 newspaper naming sentence
The dish became so popular that in 1840, a local Spanish newspaper first used the word paella to refer to the recipe rather than the pan, according to food historian Lynne Olver.
Expresses Tradition: Lenten Fasting Foods, Article body
It became customary for cooks to combine rice with vegetables, beans, and dry cod, providing an acceptable meal for Lent.
View the Source Paella, Rice With Everything (Smithsonian Magazine)
Wikidata: Paella
Wikidata Q212121, class allow-list match (w-wdresolver-0926)View the Source Reader Challenges (0)
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