subject: Authentic Valencian Paella: Its Humble Origins. [print this page] In current always-on information era when worldwide facts, cultures and cuisines are easily accessible, paella is an internationally recognized and appreciated dish.
Paella is offered in countless restaurants all over the world. Almost everybody in the western world has heard about it, and millions have tasted it at least once in their lives.
What many people are not familiar with is the origin of this dish; the geographical area where it originates from and the history behind why, centuries ago, people began combining simple and natural ingredients to make this delicious and distinctive dish.
It all started centuries ago in a small Spanish region by the Mediterranean coast: the area surrounding the city of Valencia in Spain.
This is a fertile area close to the sea. Temperatures are driven by the Mediterranean climate, with highs of around 30-35C (85F to 96F) in summer and lows rarely dropping below 0 C (32 F). Sweet water abounds due to the Turia and Xuquer rivers crossing the region and thanks to the irrigation channels built by the Romans while most of the Iberian Peninsula was under the rule of the Roman Empire.
In this environment, the local population made their living primarily from agriculture. They grew all kinds of vegetables and fruits. Also, in the center of this region, there is a lake called Albufera. Thanks to favorable climate conditions, locals started growing rice on its shores, after rice was introduced into Europe from Asia in the first millennium BC.
We can imagine then the beginning.
Before peasants went to work in the fields at sunrise, they used a round, shallow metal dish where they cooked the meal for the day. This original piece of cookware is called Paella.
What did they have available to cook? What was affordable for them at this time?
Obviously they used what was available in abundance in their surroundings: vegetables and rice. These were cheap since they grew plentifully in the fields.
Some would have been subsistence farmers, having chickens and small farm holdings. Others would have been able to hunt rabbit or duck (which is natively abundant on the lake) or to fish the lake or coastal regions.
For seasoning they started using rosemary (a very common wild herb in the area) and saffron.
As additional options, they may have added other local delicacies such as wild snail - very common in the area and very much appreciated by the local population.
