“Paella doesn’t have seafood in it. To a Valencian, that is not paella.”
Valencia local Eduardo Aguilar tells me this with just a hint of contempt as we chat over small plates showcasing some of the region’s best produce, in his atmospheric cave-turned-tasting room.
I can’t help but raise an eyebrow at the statement – the paella I know is all about seafood, isn’t it? Rice the colour of saffron in a giant skillet, with plump prawns still sizzling in their shells alongside juicy pieces of chicken: that’s the image that flashes before me when the quintessentially Spanish dish is invoked.
But, since Valencia is the original birthplace of paella, I don’t really feel I can argue with him.
Eduardo seems to sense my misgivings: “It’s a rice dish, yes, one of many we make. But there’s no fish in typical Valencian paella – just rabbit, chicken and green beans.”
Tapas tastings take place inside an 11th-century cave
(Helen Coffey)
Paella is a serious business in this city by the sea, just down the coast from Barcelona. It is woven into the fabric of life for Valencians – so much so that they are currently going through the process of getting it enshrined into the Unesco list of intangible heritage. The entry isn’t just about the foodstuff – rather, it’s about what paella represents as a cultural practice. Eating is one part of the picture, but paella revolves around getting together – “It’s never eaten alone,” I’m later told by Eva from the tourist board – and celebrating, making time to see friends and family. Much like roast dinner in the UK, it’s a dish best served on Sundays with a group of loved ones.
“Monday to Saturday, we eat rice; Sunday, we eat paella,” says Eduardo.
As it’s not Sunday, he gives me an alternative taste of the Valencian love of this staple grain with a classic seafood rice, dyed ebony with squid ink, scattered through with tender morsels of squid and shrimp and imbued with the most moreish umami flavour.
It’s made all the more pleasurable by the surroundings: a cave dating back to the 11th century, converted into an evocative hospitality space. The rough-hewn walls make a rustic-chic backdrop to this celebration of all things Valencian. The tapas tasting is just one half of the experience offered by Eduardo and his team at Sea Saffron – they recently launched a package where guests get a tour of Valencia’s gorgeous walled old town, showcasing the hidden gems tourists often miss and…
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