The Valencian Community is the main rice producer in Spain, and therefore, the experts of this ingredient are located on the Mediterranean coast. Rice is the protagonist of many dishes throughout the Valencian Community. A top quality ingredient that has been the basis of a traditional and a more avant-garde cuisine.
THE VALENCIAN COMMUNITY, THE LAND OF THE RICE
A rice of the best quality traditionally made with a great variety of dishes.
A rice of the best quality traditionally made with a great variety of dishes.
If you think about the cuisine of the Valencian Community, the first thing that comes to mind is rice. This is not surprising, because the provinces of Alicante, Castellón and Valencia, are the main producers of this crop. The natural wetlands of the Valencian Community are the ideal place where rice is developed, which also plays a very important role in the sustainability of the ecosystem.
Varieties such as Senia, Bahia, Bomba, J. Sendra, Montsianell, Gleva, Sarçet and Albufera, originate in Valencia, thus being considered a protected rice, of the finest quality and as a traditional mark.
For generations the development of this product has become essential as it is in many a Valencian dish.
Rice is a staple in this Community, whose recipes have passed from grandparents, parents and parents to children. Rice is a very versatile ingredient, you can cook it in so many ways, but it is true that traditional recipes are the most recurrent and that is why Valencians are experts.
Undoubtedly, the most internationally known rice modality is paella. The origin of this exquisite dish dates to the fifteenth century, in the rural areas of Valencia. A traditional Valencian paella is made with rabbit, chicken, fresh vegetables (tabella, ferraura and garrafón- different types of beans and beans), rice, saffron and olive oil, cooked over low heat with orange wood, which gives it a very particular smell and taste. Another unique characteristic of the paella is the "socarrat", a slight crunchy layer that is created between the paella and the rice. This thin layer of roasted rice is achieved with a measure of fat, the exact amount of broth, combined with an exact temperature and time on fire. A whole art that not everyone gets.
But paella is not the only well-known rice dish, there are many other dishes that are made from this Valencian jewel. Like rice with crust, a typical dish from the Vega Baja area, the Baix Vinalopó and the Marina Alta area. This rice is cooked with top quality sausage and a beaten egg is added then baked in the oven and that generates the sensation of crust that gives the plate its name.
The “arroz a banda” is another typical rice dish from the coastal zone of the Province of Alicante. It is a fisherman's rice, which is made with a broth or bottom of fish, the head and aioli. This dish is cooked in two parts, the rice and then the stew with the broth and the shredded fish. Traditionally this delicacy was served in two parts, the first with the discards of fish, and the second with the rice that was boiled with the fish stock in a cauldron. Over time, this has changed, leaving only the rice to which fish tripping is added.
This rice is confused with senyoret rice, a rice also made with fish that is already peeled and chopped. This dish originates from the upper class, a rice that is ready to eat without any effort because all its ingredients are peeled and crumbled.
Baked rice is another typical type from Albufera. This dish is the fruit of the kitchen, because it arises from the ingredients available at home. This rice is made with large portions of garlic, tomato, sausage and potato, which are cooked in a clay pot in the oven.
From all these rice recipes, many more have been developed; Rice with vegetables, seafood, lobster, cod, with squid ink, all with a spectacular flavour and with a main star ingredient, Valencia's rice.
Varieties such as Senia, Bahia, Bomba, J. Sendra, Montsianell, Gleva, Sarçet and Albufera, originate in Valencia, thus being considered a protected rice, of the finest quality and as a traditional mark.
For generations the development of this product has become essential as it is in many a Valencian dish.
Rice is a staple in this Community, whose recipes have passed from grandparents, parents and parents to children. Rice is a very versatile ingredient, you can cook it in so many ways, but it is true that traditional recipes are the most recurrent and that is why Valencians are experts.
Undoubtedly, the most internationally known rice modality is paella. The origin of this exquisite dish dates to the fifteenth century, in the rural areas of Valencia. A traditional Valencian paella is made with rabbit, chicken, fresh vegetables (tabella, ferraura and garrafón- different types of beans and beans), rice, saffron and olive oil, cooked over low heat with orange wood, which gives it a very particular smell and taste. Another unique characteristic of the paella is the "socarrat", a slight crunchy layer that is created between the paella and the rice. This thin layer of roasted rice is achieved with a measure of fat, the exact amount of broth, combined with an exact temperature and time on fire. A whole art that not everyone gets.
But paella is not the only well-known rice dish, there are many other dishes that are made from this Valencian jewel. Like rice with crust, a typical dish from the Vega Baja area, the Baix Vinalopó and the Marina Alta area. This rice is cooked with top quality sausage and a beaten egg is added then baked in the oven and that generates the sensation of crust that gives the plate its name.
The “arroz a banda” is another typical rice dish from the coastal zone of the Province of Alicante. It is a fisherman's rice, which is made with a broth or bottom of fish, the head and aioli. This dish is cooked in two parts, the rice and then the stew with the broth and the shredded fish. Traditionally this delicacy was served in two parts, the first with the discards of fish, and the second with the rice that was boiled with the fish stock in a cauldron. Over time, this has changed, leaving only the rice to which fish tripping is added.
This rice is confused with senyoret rice, a rice also made with fish that is already peeled and chopped. This dish originates from the upper class, a rice that is ready to eat without any effort because all its ingredients are peeled and crumbled.
Baked rice is another typical type from Albufera. This dish is the fruit of the kitchen, because it arises from the ingredients available at home. This rice is made with large portions of garlic, tomato, sausage and potato, which are cooked in a clay pot in the oven.
From all these rice recipes, many more have been developed; Rice with vegetables, seafood, lobster, cod, with squid ink, all with a spectacular flavour and with a main star ingredient, Valencia's rice.
