Spain’s 5 Most Delicious Regional Rice Dishes You Must Try

Paella is one of Spain’s most famous contributions to world cuisine, and the dish is central to the country’s gastronomic traditions. It is eaten in homes across the country, and each region has its own time-honoured recipes. Valencian paella is the best-known version of the dish, and it is regarded by many as the definitive recipe. Traditionally cooked over an open fire, the dish is made with chicken, rabbit, and vegetables, such as runner beans, tomato, and artichokes. Seafood is a common addition, and prawns, clams, and squid are all popular ingredients. Paella Valenciana is eaten all over Spain, but it is particularly popular in the south. A good paella is cooked in a thin layer in a wide, shallow pan, and it is served straight from the pan. One of the most popular regional variations of paella is paella marinera, a seafood paella that is made with fish, prawns, and clams. This dish is a speciality of the coastal towns in the south of Spain, where it is traditionally cooked on the beach. The seafood is cooked in a rich, tomato-based sauce with onion, garlic, and sweet paprika. The dish is flavoured with saffron and a generous helping of olive oil. The rice is added to the pan, and it is cooked slowly until it has absorbed all of the flavours of the sauce. Another popular regional variation of paella is paella mixta, which combines meat and seafood. This dish is a favourite in the central regions of Spain, where it is made with chicken, pork, and prawns. The dish is flavoured with sweet paprika, saffron, and garlic, and it is cooked in a tomato-based sauce with onion and green peppers. The rice is added to the pan, and it is cooked slowly until it has absorbed all of the flavours of the sauce. Arroz negro is a rice dish that is popular in the north of Spain, particularly in the Basque Country and Catalonia. The dish is made with squid ink, which gives the rice a distinctive black colour. The squid ink is cooked with onion, garlic, and tomato, and the rice is added to the pan. The dish is flavoured with sweet paprika and saffron, and it is cooked slowly until the rice has absorbed all of the flavours of the sauce. Arroz negro is often served with alioli, a garlic mayonnaise that is a speciality of the region. Another popular rice dish in the north of Spain is arroz a banda, which is made with fish stock and seafood. The dish is a speciality of the coastal towns in the region, where it is traditionally cooked on the beach. The fish stock is flavoured with sweet paprika, saffron, and garlic, and the rice is added to the pan. The dish is cooked slowly until the rice has absorbed all of the flavours of the stock. Arroz a banda is often served with alioli, a garlic mayonnaise that is a speciality of the region.