National Spanish Paella Day 2021: 7 Interesting Facts About The Beloved Dish

There are holidays that celebrate the many delicious foods that we love to eat. Today's occasion, National Spanish Paella Day, is one of them. It is when we celebrate the classic rice dish with humble beginnings but is now beloved all around the world.

Many consider paella to be Spain's national dish, National Today said, and many Americans also love it. Originating from Valencia on the east coast of Spain, it was a lunchtime dish that workers in the field prepared over an open fire and mixed with whatever they could find, from vegetables to snails and rabbits, according to National Day Calendar.

From there, it spread to every region in Spain then worldwide. And today, Spanish paella has become a beloved dish in many parts of the world, with its signature golden color that can easily whet people's appetites.

On National Spanish Paella Day, celebrated on March 27 every year, what better way to celebrate than by enjoying Spanish paella? You can either buy some from your favorite Spanish restaurant or make it yourself.

But first, let's have a look at some interesting facts about Spanish paella, courtesy of Mobile Cuisine, Culture Trip, Escuela De Arroces Y Paella Valenciana and National Today.

• Paella name comes from the pan used to make it, which is the Latin term for "pan" or "dish."
• The first time the term "paella" was used to refer to the dish, not the pan, was in a newspaper in 1840.
• There are different types of paella apart from the original Paella Valenciana. One of them is even made with squid ink, which makes it black instead of golden in color.
• Paella is typically a lunchtime meal because it is considered to be too heavy for dinner.
• The custom, when eating paella, is to eat it directly from the pan. This was the same custom practiced in the past, and many still follow the tradition to this day.
• The world record for the largest paella was set in October 2001 in Madrid, Spain when chef Juan Galbis and 80 other chefs created a paella so massive it reportedly fed 110,000 people.
• The "socarrat" is considered to be the "most coveted" part of the paella. It is the toasted layer of rice at the bottom of the pan which, when well-made, has that special crunchy texture. It's made by turning up the heat during the final stages of cooking the dish.