Valencia’s gastronomy is based on a healthy Mediterranean cuisine, characterized by a wide range of fresh and natural products. It is a cuisine with a mountain of flavours and textures: delicious seafood, fruits, vegetables and very good wines. But if there is a special dish that defines Valencian cuisine, it would be “paella”, which is also the best known Spanish food.
Despite it culinary diversity, the rice monopolises most menus in Valencia, becoming the absolute protagonist. But the repertoire of Valencian rice dishes is not a monotonous succession of paellas – Rice is prepared in a myriad of ways! Some cooking experts maintain the original paella recipe – the one that is made with chicken, snails and vegetables (Paella a la Valenciana), but is has been transformed in many different ways since rice will take almost any ingredient: vegetables, meats and especially fish and seafood together.
The most consumed paella is Paella Marinera, prepared with rice, saffron, sea-food, fish and vegetables. Often chicken is added to it (Paella Mixta). The original paella has thus derived into many other different dishes such as: “arròs negre” (rice in squid’s ink), “arròs a banda” (rice with seafood), “arròs amb fesols i naps” (with haricot beans and turnip), “arròs al forn” (oven-baked rice) and “arròs amb bledes” (rice with chard). “Fideuà” is similar to paella, but the rice has been replaced by noodles.
Valencia’s cuisine is not only based on rice though. Other culinary specialities are “all-i-pebre d’anguiles” (garlic,pepper and eel stew), “suc de peix” (made of fish, oil, garlic, onion and parsley), “esgarrat” (roasted red pepper, cod and olive oil) and “titaína” (a recipe made of vegetables, pine kernels, spices and tuna).
Valencia also offers a wide variety of sweets inherited from Moorish culture, such as “arnadí”, made with pumpkin preserves, yams and almonds, or the classical pumpkin fritters with chocolate other delights are the “rosegons”, the “arrop i talladetes”, or the pastries made of the extract of a kind of sweet potato called a “boniato” and “cabello de angel”, made from the extract of a type of local melon. In addition, Valencia has high quality fruits, in which oranges play a major role and are also exported to the rest of Spain.
The Valencian drink par excellence is the “horchata”, or tiger nut milk, a delicious ice cold beverage mostly consumed in summertime. The other typical Valencian drink is “Agua de Valencia”(Valencian Water), a very agreeable cocktail made from freshly squeezed orange juice and Cava. Valencia can also boast of having an excellent wine selection – white from the Alto Turia and Serranía areas, or red from Requena, Utiel and Campo de Llíria.
Valencia is definitely one of the great cuisine capitals. Travel to the city and rent Valencia Apartments for the best accommodation. And remember, you should taste all the different types of delicious Paella!
