Walking down the cobbled streets of Deià in the heart of Mallorca, Spain; an aromatic smell of saffron, seafood, and spices fill the air.

Paella is a very special dish that my family has eaten once every other year in a very distant part of the world (oversees). It is often a fond memory and a reoccurring tradition in my family is to gather around a table and share one of Spain’s most famous dishes: Paella.

Photo of traditional Paella – courtesy of Joshua Miranda, Pexels

 

Despite being one of Spain’s most famous dishes, Paella is a result of the combination of two different cultures, Roman and Arabic. 1  Paella is traditionally made and served in a huge, round, metal dish called “paellera” (pa-eh-yera).2  It is seen as a dish that is shared among friends and family, both a social and culinary staple in the Spanish culture.

This dish originates from the areas that grew rice on Spain’s Mediterranean coast and is closely associated with Valencia. 3  There is a theory that the origin of the word “paella” comes from Arabic word “Baqiyah” meaning “leftovers” – this theory dates back to the late 8th century when the Moors introduced Spain to rice and its cultivation process. 4

One of the most interesting things I find about Paella is that it incorporates one of the most expensive spices in the world, saffron! The reason why this spice is so expensive is because it requires lots of labor to harvest and ~ 225,000 “stigmas” are needed in order to make 1 pound of saffron spice. 5  Depending on the quality, it can rage from hundreds of dollars to thousands of dollars per pound. It is this the most important spice in this dish that gives this dish its bright colour and exotic flavour. 6

 

Close up photo of Saffron spice – Courtesy of Victoria Bowers, Pexels

 

The options for different types of paella are meat (usually duck or rabbit), seafood (usually shrimp and muscles), and vegetarian (usually extra vegetables).  Some traditional ingredients are as follows: rice, green beans, fresh butter beans, tomato, olive oil, paprika, saffron, water, and salt. 7

 

As hard as my family has tried to recreate this complex dish at home, we never seem to get the taste just right. Perhaps it’s the lack of cultural culinary experience or maybe the lack of saffron or even the paellera. All I know is that nothing beats the taste of Paella on a summer’s night in the bustling streets of Mallorca.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Endnotes

 

  1. Lourdes March, “paella.” InThe Oxford Companion to Food, edited by Tom Jaine. 3rd ed. Oxford University Press, Inc., 2014. https://ezproxy.kpu.ca:2443/login?url=https://search.credoreference.com/content/entry/oupof/paella/0?institutionId=9473, accessed March 18th, 2023.

 

  1. Ana Ruiz, “Vibrant Andalusia : The Spice of Life in Southern Spain” (New York: Algora Publishing, 2007): 128, https://go.exlibris.link/b0rkRrR6, accessed March 18th, 2023.

 

  1. Aakanksha Gaur, et al. “paella.” Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/paella, accessed March 14th, 2023.

 

  1. Ana Ruiz, “Vibrant Andalusia : The Spice of Life in Southern Spain” (New York: Algora Publishing, 2007): 129, https://go.exlibris.link/b0rkRrR6, accessed March 18th, 2023.

 

  1. Mitchell Diggs, “Saffron.” Kitsap Sun (2015), https://go.exlibris.link/FQQdGsjW, accessed March 14th, 2023.

 

  1. Ana Ruiz, “Vibrant Andalusia : The Spice of Life in Southern Spain” (New York: Algora Publishing, 2007): 129, https://go.exlibris.link/b0rkRrR6, accessed March 18th, 2023.

 

  1. Lourdes March, “paella.” InThe Oxford Companion to Food, edited by Tom Jaine. 3rd ed. Oxford University Press, Inc., 2014. https://ezproxy.kpu.ca:2443/login?url=https://search.credoreference.com/content/entry/oupof/paella/0?institutionId=9473, accessed March 18th, 2023.

 

 

 

Bibliography

 

Gaur, Aakanksha, Adam Augustyn, Adam Zeidan, Adam Zeidan, Ajay Batra, Alicja Zelazko, Alison Eldridge, et al. “paella.” Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/paella, [accessed March 14th, 2023].

 

March, Lourdes. “paella.” In The Oxford Companion to Food, edited by Tom Jaine. 3rd ed. Oxford University Press, Inc.,          2014. https://ezproxy.kpu.ca:2443/login?url=https://search.credoreference.com/content/entry/oupof/paella/0?institutionId=9473, [accessed March 18th, 2023].

 

March, Lourdes. “paella.” In The Oxford Companion to Food, edited by Tom Jaine. 3rd ed. Oxford University Press, Inc., 2014. https://ezproxy.kpu.ca:2443/login?url=https://search.credoreference.com/content/entry/oupof/paella/0?institutionId=9473, [accessed March 18th, 2023].

 

Mitchell Diggs, “Saffron.” Kitsap Sun (2015), https://go.exlibris.link/FQQdGsjW, [accessed March 14th, 2023].

 

Ruiz, Ana. “Vibrant Andalusia : The Spice of Life in Southern Spain”, 1 -137. New York: Algora Publishing, 2007. ProQuest Ebook Central. https://go.exlibris.link/b0rkRrR6, [accessed March 18, 2023].

 

Ruiz, Ana. “Vibrant Andalusia : The Spice of Life in Southern Spain”, 1 -137. New York: Algora Publishing, 2007. ProQuest Ebook Central. https://go.exlibris.link/b0rkRrR6, [accessed March 18, 2023].

 

Ruiz, Ana. “Vibrant Andalusia : The Spice of Life in Southern Spain”, 1 -137. New York: Algora Publishing, 2007. ProQuest Ebook Central. https://go.exlibris.link/b0rkRrR6, [accessed March 18, 2023].

 

 

 

Image List

 

(Cover) Joost van Os, “3 plates of paella, the food of the Spanish kitchen.” (August 13th, 2022). Pexels, https://www.pexels.com/photo/3-plates-of-paella-the-food-of-the-spanish-kitchen-13207675/, accessed March 12th, 2023.

 

Joshua Miranda, “Delicious paella with mollusks in big frying pan.” (May 3rd, 2020). Pexels, https://www.pexels.com/photo/delicious-paella-with-mollusks-in-big-frying-pan-4305836/, accessed March 17th, 2023.

 

Victoria Bowers, “Red Saffron Spice on Brown Wooden Spoon.” (December 8th, 2021). Pexels, https://www.pexels.com/photo/red-saffron-spice-on-brown-wooden-spoon-10487658/, accessed March 13th, 2023.

 

 

 

Endnotes 1. Lourdes March, "paella." In The Oxford Companion to Food, edited by Tom Jaine. 3rd ed. Oxford University Press, Inc., 2014. https://ezproxy.kpu.ca:2443/login?url=https://search.credoreference.com/content/entry/oupof/paella/0?institutionId=9473, accessed March 18th, 2023. 2. Ana Ruiz, “Vibrant Andalusia : The Spice of Life in Southern Spain” (New York: Algora Publishing, 2007): 128, https://go.exlibris.link/b0rkRrR6, accessed March 18th, 2023. 3. Aakanksha Gaur, et al. “paella.” Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/paella, accessed March 14th, 2023. 4. Ana Ruiz, “Vibrant Andalusia : The Spice of Life in Southern Spain” (New York: Algora Publishing, 2007): 129, https://go.exlibris.link/b0rkRrR6, accessed March 18th, 2023. 5. Mitchell Diggs, “Saffron.” Kitsap Sun (2015), https://go.exlibris.link/FQQdGsjW, accessed March 14th, 2023. 6. Ana Ruiz, “Vibrant Andalusia : The Spice of Life in Southern Spain” (New York: Algora Publishing, 2007): 129, https://go.exlibris.link/b0rkRrR6, accessed March 18th, 2023. 7. Lourdes March, "paella." In The Oxford Companion to Food, edited by Tom Jaine. 3rd ed. Oxford University Press, Inc., 2014. https://ezproxy.kpu.ca:2443/login?url=https://search.credoreference.com/content/entry/oupof/paella/0?institutionId=9473, accessed March 18th, 2023. Bibliography Gaur, Aakanksha, Adam Augustyn, Adam Zeidan, Adam Zeidan, Ajay Batra, Alicja Zelazko, Alison Eldridge, et al. “paella.” Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/paella, [accessed March 14th, 2023]. March, Lourdes. "paella." In The Oxford Companion to Food, edited by Tom Jaine. 3rd ed. Oxford University Press, Inc., 2014. https://ezproxy.kpu.ca:2443/login?url=https://search.credoreference.com/content/entry/oupof/paella/0?institutionId=9473, [accessed March 18th, 2023]. March, Lourdes. "paella." In The Oxford Companion to Food, edited by Tom Jaine. 3rd ed. Oxford University Press, Inc., 2014. https://ezproxy.kpu.ca:2443/login?url=https://search.credoreference.com/content/entry/oupof/paella/0?institutionId=9473, [accessed March 18th, 2023]. Mitchell Diggs, “Saffron.” Kitsap Sun (2015), https://go.exlibris.link/FQQdGsjW, [accessed March 14th, 2023]. Ruiz, Ana. “Vibrant Andalusia : The Spice of Life in Southern Spain”, 1 -137. New York: Algora Publishing, 2007. ProQuest Ebook Central. https://go.exlibris.link/b0rkRrR6, [accessed March 18, 2023]. Ruiz, Ana. “Vibrant Andalusia : The Spice of Life in Southern Spain”, 1 -137. New York: Algora Publishing, 2007. ProQuest Ebook Central. https://go.exlibris.link/b0rkRrR6, [accessed March 18, 2023]. Ruiz, Ana. “Vibrant Andalusia : The Spice of Life in Southern Spain”, 1 -137. New York: Algora Publishing, 2007. ProQuest Ebook Central. https://go.exlibris.link/b0rkRrR6, [accessed March 18, 2023]. Image List (Cover) Joost van Os, “3 plates of paella, the food of the Spanish kitchen.” (August 13th, 2022). Pexels, https://www.pexels.com/photo/3-plates-of-paella-the-food-of-the-spanish-kitchen-13207675/, accessed March 12th, 2023. Joshua Miranda, “Delicious paella with mollusks in big frying pan.” (May 3rd, 2020). Pexels, https://www.pexels.com/photo/delicious-paella-with-mollusks-in-big-frying-pan-4305836/, accessed March 17th, 2023. Victoria Bowers, “Red Saffron Spice on Brown Wooden Spoon.” (December 8th, 2021). Pexels, https://www.pexels.com/photo/red-saffron-spice-on-brown-wooden-spoon-10487658/, accessed March 13th, 2023.