Paella, one
of Spain’s best-known dishes has been given protected cultural status on the
grounds that it celebrates the “art of unity and sharing”.
On Tuesday,
the government of Valencia – the region where paella originated – declared the
dish an item of cultural significance, detailing its history and virtues
in an eight-page announcement in the official
gazette.
“Paella is an
icon of the Mediterranean diet, because of both its ingredients and its
characteristics as a representation of Valencian culture. All the ingredients
used in its preparation – such as fish, meat, vegetables, the justly famous and
healthy olive oil and the complete grain that is rice – are part of the
Mediterranean diet.”
Its protein,
vegetables and carbohydrates, it added, “make paella one of gastronomy’s most
balanced dishes”.
The regional
government said the new status will help promote study and research into the
dish and will safeguard “the survival of this cultural item and ensure it is
passed on to future generations”.
The
declaration noted that paella must be protected from the “distortions that could
result from mass tourism”. It also included a series of helpful do’s and
don’ts.
Heat sources
are important: make sure your fire’s not too smoky and check the heat is
distributed evenly.
Perhaps the
most important rule of all: never stir the rice while it is cooking. Any
spatula incursions will release too much starch from the rice and leave you
with a sticky paella.
The
government pointed out that the dish is “the symbol of a Sunday family lunch …
and represents a feeling of identity and continuity that we need to protect,
maintain, and pass on”.
“Tradition dictates that a paella should be
eaten with a spoon (in the past they were wooden), although it’s true today that
that custom has changed and each diner may choose for themselves.”
The dish was
developed over the course of several centuries after the Arabs brought rice to
Spain and the saffron trade began to flourish.
“The first
reference to paella – or ‘Valencian rice’ – is to be found in an 18th-century
recipe manuscript, which explains how it should be prepared and notes that the
rice should end up dry.”
From The Guardian (edited)
