Question: What are the various types of paella available in Spain?
Answer: These are the varieties of paella you are likely to encounter in a restaurant in Spain. In addition to the ingredients below (and, of course, the rice), the paella will include vegetables - often peppers, tomatoes and green & white beans. Read more on ordering paella in a restaurant in Spain
- Paella Valenciana is the original paella and is made from chicken, pork and/or rabbit. There's not a prawn in sight.
- Paella Marisco Seafood paella. The fact that paella valenciana came first is not to say the seafood version is not ‘authentic’, just don’t be forcing yourself into eating it out of some appeal to ‘tradition’. Will usually contain prawns, mussels and calamares (squid). Another reason why I personally wouldn't go for paella marisco is that calamares is very difficult to cook right and not taste like rubber. I have never had nice calamares in a paella.
- Paella Mixta To get the best of both worlds, try the mixta, which is a mixture of meat and seafood.
- Paella Vegetal or Vegetariana Spanish cuisine has broken from its typical mentality by providing a vegetarian paella as well!
- Paella Negra Seafood paella cooked in squid ink.
- Paella Fideus Paella made with noodles instead of rice.
