Valencia is a beautiful region in Spain that offers visitors the perfect combination of sun, sand, and sea. With its stunning coastline, historic architecture, and vibrant culture, it's no surprise that Valencia is a popular destination for holidaymakers. However, there is one very important aspect of Valencia that should never get overlooked - its incredible culinary heritage! If you are a foodie looking for a truly unique culinary experience during your holiday in Valencia, then look no further than the region's most famous dish: paella.
Paella is a rice-based dish that originated in Valencia, with some suggesting it developed from the 8th century tradition of the servants of Moorish kings bringing home leftover rice, meat, and vegetables and combining them into a dish. It then became a lunchtime meal staple that was long eaten by farmers and farm labourers. By the mid-19th century, it became something closer to the modern iteration with more varieties in ingredients and the name paella becoming firmly attached to the dish.
Steeped in tradition and deeply connected to the culinary heritage of the region, each family has their own secret recipes that are handed down through the generations. Furthermore, it is a dish that is quintessentially about family and community as it is often eaten as a shared dish, with lots of people gathering around the one pot at the table. If you are travelling with friends and/or family and you are interested in making special memories and sharing experiences and you are a group that is particularly interested in food, then it can’t be missed if you book a vacation rental in Valencia! Gather around the table together, share delicious food, learn about the history of Valencian cuisine, and spend the kind of quality time with your loved ones that is more healing and relaxing than anything else.
A very simple dish, paella can be made using a small number of ingredients including rice (as the all-important core and base of the recipe), saffron (lending its iconic yellow shade), a selection of different meats, seafood, and vegetables. Different variations and combinations will depend on the location, the time of year, local traditions, and personal preferences and recipes of the chef or cook. Some of the most well-known varieties include the famous paella valenciana made with round-grain rice, bajoqueta and tavella (green beans), rabbit, chicken (or duck), garrofó (a variety of lima or butter bean), cooked in olive oil and chicken broth, and sometimes whole rosemary branches for seasoning. Other common and delicious iterations include seafood specialities, vegetarian paella, and black paella (made with squid ink).
However, rather than the ingredients necessarily, what really stands out as singularly unique and specific to the dish is how it is prepared. Traditionally, paella must be cooked in a specific pan that is wide and shallow, called a paellera, and is done over an open flame. When this is done correctly, it allows the rice to cook evenly while also producing the distinctive crust at the bottom, the socarrat.
Now that you are properly thinking about a foodie getaway in one of our villas in Valencia and are looking to explore the culinary heritage of Valencia and experience the unique flavors of paella for yourself, you might be wondering where you should go once you get there in order to experience this beloved favourite. Well, there are a few tips and tricks that you can keep in mind if you want to sample the best examples:
1. It is important to find a reputable restaurant that specialises in paella.
The latter part is important here because you’ll see paella on the menu in lots of restaurants in Valencia. However, if you are a discerning foodie on vacation in Spain, then you should know that not all of these will actually have the expertise and experience required to prepare the dish to its full potential. You are better off ensuring that they focus on paella and know how to prepare the dish to perfection.
2. Look for restaurants that use locally-sourced ingredients.
Regional specialities and ingredients are used in traditional recipes and if you pick restaurants that focus on the variety of paella from their area and the ingredients normally used in their local variety, then you are probably going to find examples of dishes and restaurants that are steeped in decades of experience. Ergo, you are probably going to find some of the best paella possible.
3. Time your meal correctly.
As we noted, paella is traditionally served for lunch rather than dinner and it is is also best enjoyed in the company of friends and family. It's a meal that is meant to be savoured and enjoyed over a nice leisurely stretch of time. So, plan to head out for lunch, leave yourself lots of time for conversation and relaxation, and really enjoy the quintessential paella experience on vacation in Valencia.
Finally, if you like to cook yourself and you want to make the most of our holiday rentals in Valencia with fully-equipped kitchens, then why not try your hand at cooking the dish yourself? Make a full foodie experience out of it by shopping at local markets and grocery stores for perfectly fresh, locally-sourced ingredients, research the variety from the area in which you are staying (you’ll find lots of paella recipes readily online) or experiment with your own, and then enjoy the meal with your travel companions in your villa in Valencia or al fresco to make the most of your stunning surroundings. If you're looking for a unique culinary experience during your holiday in Valencia, then paella is a must-try dish. With its rich history, tradition, and variety of flavours, wholesome but tasty ingredients, and more, it is not to be missed during a getaway in Spain!
