A group of researchers has confirmed in a study the ten essential ingredients of the authentic Valencian paella, “much more than a dish” due to its roots and its ritual, according to the Spanish chef José Andrés.
The investigation, presented on Thursday, March 17, in Valencia (eastern Spain), has confirmed that the ingredients are rice, water, olive oil, salt, saffron (or dye), tomato, flat green bean, carob bean (large ), chicken and rabbit.
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The results allow the exclusion of ingredients that are never used and should be avoided in a true Valencian paella recipe. and also includes others from the list of frequent or occasional.
Along with the ten essential ingredients -used by more than 90% of the nearly 400 non-professional chefs interviewed in 266 towns and cities in the province of Valencia, except rabbit, with 88.9%- another 38 common ones have been identified , as well as 50 that are used occasionally.
Thus, far from the percentages of use of the ten essentials, but with a very significant use, are paprika (62.5%), rosemary (52.2%) and artichoke (46.3%), this the latter seasonal.
But apart from the ingredients, Paella -one of the best-known dishes of Spanish gastronomy- has a magical part that is the cooking techniquethe ritual, the firewood, the control of the fire, in a “metaphor of life to understand and understand” because, “if you control the fire, you will be able to cook everything”, considers José Andrés.
“It takes you a lifetime, or several, to try to understand what a Valencian paella is,” he assured in the presentation of the study, before launching a warning about the paella, which he cooks in the United States: “God willing, one day we will take it to the space station, why not?
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The chef defended that the promotion of Spanish dishes abroad must be accompanied by the use of his own ingredients -rice, oil, saffron, paellera- to create wealth among producers and in the rural world.
He was referring precisely to the container in which paella is cooked due to the disparity in its name -paellera for some, paella for others- to ask the Valencian authorities to present themselves “at the Academy of the Language and come to an agreement because there is a tremendous mess.”
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José Andrés also spoke of the problem of Spain, an agricultural country, becoming a desert country and urged that it be at the forefront in this matter to discover water desalination systems that avoid the lack of water resources.
Research on the ingredients of paella has been carried out by Pablo Vidal, Pilar Medrano and Enrique Sáez and published in the scientific journal International Journal of Gastronomy and Food Science in the article titled “A nightmare glocal discussion. What are the ingredients of Paella Valenciana?
The study confirms that 80% of the home cooks interviewed make it for more than four people and that 79.8% prepare it on Sundays and in other exceptional circumstances, making it a party and celebration dish with a social connotation , which is “the reason for the success” of paella. (I)
Source: Eluniverso
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