I don’t know about you, but for me, paella is one of my favourite dishes, but I’ve yet to come across two that taste the same. Last time I was in Valencia, I visited La Huerta, a ribbon of green fertile agricultural land on the outskirts of the city, and the birthplace of Spain’s greatest dish.

Here I learned that paella is traditionally eaten in the open and cooked over a wood fire. It was originally a lunch dish eaten by farmers and field works combining rice and whatever else was nearby at the time.

For Valencians, paella is a part of their culture and identity and they’re very strict about how it should be made and what ingredients are to be used. The authentic Valencian paella can be made with meat or seafood, but never together, and certainly never with chorizo.

Accompanied with a good wine or cava, the traditional way to enjoy the Paella is with your friends and family outdoors, and more than just being another tasty dish, it’s also about spending your day together.

It’s easy to see how the traditional paella has been lost in translation in certain parts of the world. But that just makes it all the more satisfying to experience the real thing whilst in Valencia.

If you’d like to experience making an authentic paella whist visiting Valencia contact us for more information.