Even people who have never visited Spain have probably heard of the world famous rice dish that is paella. It is as much associated with this country as are the words “mañana” and “siesta”! But did you know that it is just one of a whole plethora of Spanish rice dishes, and that not all rice dishes are paellas?
Pronunciation
Before we go any further, let’s get the pronunciation out of the way! It’s not “PIE-ELLA”, as in “(pumpkin) PIE”+“ELLA (Fitzgerald)”! Until relatively recently in the Spanish alphabet, “ll” was not just one letter “l” followed by another but rather a letter in its own right, with its own pronunciation (eh-yeh). Although “ll” – and the letter “ch” – were both eventually dropped from the Spanish alphabet as actual letters, their pronunciations haven’t changed. Used in a word like “paella”, this means the pronunciation should sound like “pa-eh-ya”.
To give another typical example, if you’re ordering an Estrella beer, don’t make it sound like you’re trying to order an “Australia”! You’ll see fewer eyes raised to heaven if you ask for an “es-treh-ya”. Don’t be afraid to try the correct pronunciation; the locals won’t laugh at you (anymore!) – or else maybe order something else! Anyway, enough about Estrella, and back to paella and the other rice dishes!
Isn’t rice Asian?
As is the case with many a now typically-Spanish ingredient, rice was first brought to the Iberian Peninsula by the Moors. The variety they brought, though, was Oryza sativa (Asian rice) which originated in India and China, so, yes, rice is originally Asian – although there is also African rice, but that is way less common. The word “arroz” in Spanish and Portuguese (arròs in Catalan) derives from the Arabic “ar-ruzz”, as does, incidentally, the word for rice in just about every European language today, be it Latin, Germanic, Celtic or Slavic.
Moorish Iberia
It wasn’t long before ar-ruzz cultivation spread from what is now Andalucia to most of the rest of the peninsula, and especially the eastern Levante region, which corresponds to today’s regions of Murcia, Valencia, and coastal Catalunya. Today’s southern Spanish region of Andalucia takes its name from the Arabic Al-Andalus, a term used to refer to the parts of the peninsula ruled by the Moors, but at its height in the 8th century Al-Andalus actually covered nearly the entire peninsula (including most of present-day Catalunya) and even stretched into southern France, roughly as far as where Montpellier is today, so there weren’t many obstacles to prevent the spread in popularity of rice.
Well, in fact, there was one: it was quite difficult to plant and harvest and so was mostly consumed by wealthier elements of Moorish society.
“Muslim food”
When King Jaume I reconquered the city of Valencia and created what was to become the Kingdom of Valencia, there were rice fields throughout the region. In an attempt to reduce the spread of malaria, spread by mosquitos that thrive around stagnant water, he ordered that rice only be cultivated in the area of the Albufera lagoon, at a distance from the city. Nowadays, Valencia has expanded outwards so much that the outskirts of the city are once again within a short distance of the rice fields – but thankfully, malaria is no longer a concern in this part of the world!
In the centuries that followed the Reconquista, the consumption of rice declined somewhat as it was seen as “Muslim food”, but with a surge in population growth in Spain in the 18th century came an increase in demand for various crops, including rice. New machinery made planting and harvesting easier and so production increased significantly.
Spanish rice today
There are a number of subspecies of Asian rice and here in Spain most types of rice grown are varieties of Japanese subspecies – but we won’t go into quite that much detail here. Suffice it to say that long-grain and brown rice varieties are less typical here and that the rice used in typical Spanish dishes is almost always medium-grain or, for our featured dishes, short-grain round rice.
As we said, when it comes to rice dishes in Spain it’s not just all about paella – but it certainly is the best known so we’ll start with that one. But where to start?
Paella Valenciana
For the purists, the only paella worthy of the name is the Paella Valenciana, in which the rice should be only a couple of centimetres deep in the pan and which should consist only of the following ingredients: rabbit, chicken, green beans, tomatoes, garlic and saffron – and, depending on who you ask, snails. The special pan used to cook paella is called – wait for it – “una paella”! Sometimes the dish is referred to as “paellera”, but this is incorrect as this refers to the person preparing the dish. The word for the dish is exactly the same as for the pan in which it is cooked.
Paella con Mariscos
Probably even more famous than the “original” Paella Valenciana, at least with guiris (foreigners), is the Paella con Mariscos, (i.e. rice with shellfish). Again, exactly what mariscos you use is up to yourself. Some people can be slightly put off by having to peel/shell the mariscos themselves, so there’s another version of this paella called Paella de Señorito. It is so named because apparently kids of wealthier families in the Alicante region of Valencia would have their shellfish peeled before cooking, so the señoritos (“little lords and ladies”) wouldn’t have to get their hands messy! Don’t expect to find this version in too many restaurants though!
Paella Catalana
This paella is a rather controversial one. Renowned Barcelona chef Quim Marqués actually patented this recipe which is like a “mar i muntanya” (surf and turf) paella, as it includes amongst its ingredients saffron rice, chicken, crayfish, longaniza (similar to chorizo), prunes and either seasonal artichokes or peas. According to the chef himself, a Catalan paella is “infused with the aromas of the Empordà, the Ebro, La Selva, Berguedà, El Vallès, the Maresme and Barcelona”. He also suggests it be served in a ceramic plate from La Bisbal, “in order to acknowledge the effort and work of artisans and producers of our land”, and eaten with a wooden spoon.
Traditional paella day
It’s worth mentioning that in many heavily touristed areas there are restaurants that sell frozen imitations of paella to unsuspecting foreigners. Beware of places with glossy posters displaying lots of different types of paella and try instead places with a blackboard (or whiteboard!) that is updated daily, with “Today we have paella”, for example.
Keep in mind also that in many places, Thursday is traditionally paella day. There are a few theories as to why this is the case, one being that restaurants would usually do their big weekly shop on Fridays and so would make paella on Thursdays in order to use up any remaining ingredients before they went off. Another explanation often given is that house servants back in the day usually had their weekly day on Thursdays, before the busy weekend, and so would prepare the stock and ingredients on Wednesday, meaning it only required reheating when they were off. Both sound reasonably plausible…
Anyway, apart from paella, what other Spanish rice dishes are there?
Well, as we said, even the purists argue amongst themselves about what a “true” paella is. But in a way that’s the beauty of Spanish rice dishes – there are no hard and fast rules. You can more or less add whatever ingredients you like. Okay, strictly speaking you might not be able to call it a paella, but who cares? Call it “arroz con whatever”! There is even a version called “arroz al horno”, rice cooked in the oven rather than in the traditional paellera and the ingredients can be more or less whatever you have in the house that you feel like throwing in.
There are a few classic arroz dishes worth mentioning though:
Arroz negro
“Black rice” is mostly found in Valencia and Catalunya, and is especially associated with the region where the two meet, between Tarragona and Castelló. Squid ink gives the rice its black colour and typically contains one or two other shellfish along with the calamari. It is nearly always accompanied by aioli, preferably homemade.
Arroz caldoso
The Spanish word for “broth” or “stock” is caldo, and the main difference between an arroz caldoso (or “brothy rice”) is that, while a paella is almost dry, with all the stock having been absorbed by the rice, arroz caldoso still has plenty of liquid. This dish is popular throughout all Iberia, and although seafood or chicken are the most common ingredients there are numerous other versions too.
Arroz al caldero
Similar to arroz caldoso in that it retains plenty of moisture, this rice dish is mostly associated with the region of Murcia, south of Valencia. While there are lots of versions of arroz caldoso, an arroz al caldero is made with fresh seafood and local smoky red ñora peppers that give it a distinctive flavour and colour.
Arroz a banda
Although prepared in a typical paellera pan, this Valencian dish is different to others in that the rice is cooked on its own. The key is in the name as arroz a banda means “rice on the side”. Traditionally, the fish stock used in the making of a fish, potato and onion stew would then be used to separately cook the rice, giving it an intense flavour. The rice would then be served as an accompaniment to the fish and potatoes, along with homemade aioli.
Arroz con costra
This rice dish is one you won’t come across very often in Catalunya but it’s actually one of the oldest Spanish rice recipes in existence. It is most common in Alicante province (Valencia) and it is claimed that the earliest know recipe from this dish dates back to 1220, albeit with slightly different ingredients. The ingredients today include chicken, morcilla, longaniza and chickpeas, but what really sets it apart is the beaten egg that is poured over the dish before it is placed in the oven to give it a thin crust on top. A great winter dish!
Arroz con leche
Finally, to dessert! Arroz con leche is a Spanish version of rice pudding made with milk (leche) along with other ingredients such as vanilla, lemon zest, cinnamon and sometimes raisins. Eggs can be used too as well as sugar for those with an extra-sweet tooth.
Fideuà
We’re just giving this a quick mention as it’s a close relation to paella, although it has no rice at all. Instead of rice, short pieces of noodles are cooked in fish broth in the same paellera pan, and varying types of seafood are added. As with rice, there is a black version using squid ink. Accompanied by alioli. It is especially popular in Valencia and Catalunya.
Rice-growing regions
Although greater volumes of rice are produced in Andalucia and Extramaduro, Valencia is very much the capital of Spain when it comes to rice dishes. The Albufera region, mentioned above, with its natural wetlands just outside Valencia city is the primary production area for the cereal in the province, although most of the original surface area of the lagoon has now been silted up, both naturally and also by farmers filling in areas to create rice paddy fields. There are many more rice fields in villages along the coast between Valencia and Alicante cities.
Closer to home, the Ebro delta in the very south of Catalunya is the rice-growing capital of this region, with over 22,000 hectares under cultivation. The Arròs del Delta de l’Ebre Protected Designation of Origin has existed since 1992 and is world-renowned for its uniqueness and quality. It is grown exclusively in seven designated towns and is only sold as “extra class”.
Did you know, by the way, that the Ebro is the longest river in Spain? The emphasis there is on the word “in” because the River Tajo, with a length of 1092km is the longest on the Iberian peninsula, but only 857km are within Spain. The Ebro starts and ends in the country, flowing through seven different autonomous communities, from Cantabria to Catalunya, and at 930km is, therefore, the longest river in Spain. One for pub quizzes!
Arròs de Pals
Here in Girona province, rice became an important crop in the medieval village of Pals in the 15th century. Despite troubled times in the 18th and 19th centuries, when rice cultivation was largely prohibited due to diseases that killed thousands of local people being associated with the stagnant water in rice paddies, rice became a viable crop once again in the early 1900s. In the 1960s with the advent of tourism in the region, many agricultural workers abandoned the tough conditions of the rice fields to work in the new and booming services sector. As a result, rice cultivation had to become more mechanized, and so it did, with about 20 local families still involved in its production today.
Nowadays, Pals Rice proudly bears the “Girona Excel.lent” seal of approval, only given to products that are 100% from the Province of Girona and have been selected through blind tastings by the best chefs, winemakers and gastronomic critics. Two of the beers from DosKiwis Brewing in Rupià, were also awarded the seal, to give another local example.
Every April and early May, Pals hosts the six-week-long Festa de l’Arròs to celebrate its rice-related heritage that dates back to the 15th century. It is at this time of year that the rice is sown, and the paddy fields are flooded in preparation for the transplanting of the rice, which takes place in June. During the festival, there are guided tours of the rice fields, cookery courses and tastings. There are visits to Moli de Pals, which dates from 1452, making it one of the oldest rice mills in Europe.
You can also take a ride along the “Rice Route” on the Xiulet de Pals, a tourist train that takes you in amongst the rice fields around the town. The tour is available in Catalan, Spanish, French and English. There is also a medieval villages tour available in the same languages. Eight participating restaurants in and around the town will all be serving the traditional dish of the festival: Arrós de Pals a la cassola, but you can also try some other local rice dishes such as bacalao (cod), creamy artichokes, or the aforementioned black rice with shellfish and the Catalan “surf and turf paella”.
In June is the sowing of the rice festival, where you can experience how the rice was planted in the olden days. When the plants are about 20cm tall, they are pulled out in clumps and then re-planted separately 10cm apart in another already flooded rice field. The “Traditional Planting of Rice” takes place at Mas Carles, about 100m up the road from Moli de Pals, and is organized by Pals Town Council. From 10:30 you get to plunge your feet into the water and mud for the annual traditional planting of rice by hand, as instructed by some of the local “veterans”. It is a great day out for all the family.
Later, the water is drained from the paddy fields and the rice is harvested in October. In Pals, the more traditional rice varieties like Bomba, Bahia and Tebre are grown along with more “modern” ones such as Carneroli and Nembo. As with the planting of rice in June, you can participate in the traditional harvesting of rice in October, as it was done using a sickle back in the days before machinery, with local veterans to guide and instruct. Once cut, the rice is gathered into sheaves and collected onto a type of horse-drawn dray. And when the work is done, there is a huge communal rice dish for everyone.
