Anyone who has heard about Spanish cuisine surely has heard or even tried Spanish paella. Originally it was considered a typical Valencian dish. However, non-Spaniards tend to consider it as Spain’s national dish.

The name comes from the frying pan the dish is prepared in. It is wide and shallow and usually cooked on an open fire. It is not known when the first paella was prepared. However, in its modern form, it is traced back to the mid-19th century, in the rural area close to the Albufera lagoon region, close to Valencia city, where rice is harvested.

I have eaten paella or rice-related dishes for as long as I can remember. However, it was not until I moved to Stockholm that I learned and prepared my first paella on my own. I love it because it brings me good memories with my family. Paella is a weekend dish as it takes time to prepare, enough time to gather friends and family.

The paella is a super versatile dish. Despite what some Valencians declare, it can be prepared with different and varied ingredients. Among the different variants, there is the traditional paella which usually includes veggies and meat, the seafood paella or the veggie paella, which would be a vegan version.

I love cooking; it relaxes me, and I enjoy eating what I have cooked afterwards! Among everything, I also love to cook with my girlfriend while listening to music.

I want to invite anyone trying to prepare the recipe, even though it might seem intricate, it is an easy-going and delicious recipe to prepare. Go gather some friends and enjoy cooking and eating together, because as my grandma said: “Food always brings joy”.