Paella

Paella is Spain's most famous dish and one of the great rice preparations of world cuisine, originating in the rice-growing marshlands around Valencia in the mid-19th century before spreading around the world as a symbol of Spanish gastronomy. The word 'paella' refers to the wide, shallow steel pan in which the rice is cooked over open flame, developing the prized socarrat: the caramelised, slightly crispy layer of rice at the bottom of the pan. The debate about what constitutes an authentic paella (seafood is not traditional in the original Valencian recipe) is one of Spain's great cultural controversies.