What Rice Is Used In Paella?

• What rice should I use for paella?

You can basically use any rice for a paella dish but you will find that some types of rice will cook faster and have a better texture. The best rice to use is Valencia rice as this will have a delicious texture and hold in the flavors of the paella. Valencia rice is available from all good supermarkets but if you are finding it difficult to buy in your area, you can also buy it online. It is available on Amazon in the Grocery and Gourmet Food section for $1.39 for a 12 oz bag.

Valencia rice is quite an expensive type of rice so you could use alternatives such as the regular medium grain white rice or short grain rice that is available everywhere and can be bought in bulk at a reasonable price. You will need to cook medium grain rice for longer to ensure it is soft and flavorsome so you should ensure you add plenty of liquid to the dish to ensure it remains moist during the longer cooker period. You can use something such as chicken stock for the extra moisture needed as this will remain flavorsome.

• What is paella?

Paella is a Valencian dish but many people consider it to be a Spanish dish. It is a rice based dish cooked slowly in a large pan with saffron which gives the dish a lovely yellow coloring and delicious flavor. It is cooked with vegetables and typically has chorizo, chicken or seafood in it. It is a surprisingly simple dish to cook and one that many people believe would be extremely complicated but it involves adding all the ingredients to a pan and allowing them to simmer together and combine for delicious flavors.