If you were to describe Spain in three words, I think you would have them in your mind: the bullfighter with the red scarf, the unruly flamenco and the post-Impressionist master Cézanne.
The warm Mediterranean climate nurtures the enthusiasm and artistic genes of the Spaniards, the people are hungry for the sky, and the gorgeous exuberance of Latin culture also blooms in the national cuisine Paella (paella).
A large pan carries the fiery style of the red matador kingdom, golden rice wafts with the aroma of seafood and saffron, elastic rice grains and just the right pot, and the rich ingredients show the taste of the Mediterranean under the ingenious cooking.
The Spanish food historian Rhodes argues that the emergence of paella was the result of the collision and fusion of ancient Roman and Arab civilizations, "symbolizing the union of two important cultures of this country and its heritage".
The Iberian Peninsula, where Spain is located, was first subordinate to ancient Rome, when asparagus, artichokes, etc. cultivated by the nobles became important ingredients for paella.
After the decline of the Roman Empire, the Moors from North Africa crossed the Strait of Gibral into the Iberian Peninsula, and they brought pans for making paella and ingredients such as rice and saffron, and paella had its original appearance.
The age of geographical discovery in the Age of Discovery was also the era of the Great Exchange of Ingredients. Spanish navigators brought back potatoes, corn, peppers and various spices from Asia, the Americas and other regions. Paella has more options.
In Spanish literature, pealla, a word derived from Latin, first appears in the coastal city of Valencia in the 15th and 16th centuries, where Paella originally referred to a large amphora with flat soles, and the Valencians called the cooker of risotto Paellera.
After paella left Valencia, paella was only heard of in the jianghu and forgot its original meaning.
In fact, a paella with "red seedlings" has no seafood, just as there is no fish in the fish and meat shreds, and there is no wife in the wife cake.
One of the essences of paella is rice, which is best suited for Valencia rice with short particles and low starch content, usually steamed in broth, which fully absorbs the soup in the pot. The cooked grains of rice are full and distinct, and the bottom of the pot is covered with a layer of burnt and fragrant pot, which is crunchy and Spanish.
Secondly, saffron from Persia, Tibet and other places is the soul of paella flavor. Visually, this precious ingredient is like Cézanne's paint, painting Paula a bright golden yellow; in the sense of smell, its special aroma is like flamenco dance steps, which adds an indescribable enthusiasm and mystery to the taste of paella.