A Taste for Travel

Hi Friends, Bhakti + Jagger here today!

We were lucky enough to get to take a class to learn to make the traditional Valenciana dish paella! Now, you may be asking what exactly IS paella??? The word itself actually means “pan” like… an actual cooking pan. So if you go out and buy a paella pan, you will be buying a pan pan, or a paella paella, LOL!

Our class started at Marcat Russafa an indoor European style market full of delicious flavors and intoxicating scents.

Our guide Jordin was a Valencian native, who shared with us all the tricks-and-tips for getting the best ingredients for our paella/ pan, LOL! We learned that the traditionally Valenican creation known as paella is actually made with… (drumroll please) chicken and rabbit! The seafood version we were more familiar with is an acceptable alternative, still baring the name, but is definitely considered to be an adaptation and must contain at least mussels, prawns and squid or cuttlefish to be able to call itself paella. Everything else is entirely optional. Some of the members of our group also chose to make a vegetarian paella, which is considered a modern adaptation and is basically a vegetable fee-for-all with no required components. It typically contains green beans and zucchini/courgette We learned that in a seafood paella, cuttlefish is often preferred because it is lower in cholesterol. So our guide chose that for the day.

After we left the market, we got to sample some serrano ham (Iberian ham is more expensive and therefore used on special occasions like weddings only) and we began our short walk to the chefs’ kitchen. The first thing Jagger noticed was the sign saying, “My First Paella“. It told us exactly what we were making and that they were not going to mess around!

Once we donned our aprons, the party began! Fanta limon was passed around, alongside sangria for the adults. We had some traditional tapas (small plates) that the other chef Jose had prepared for us in advance. Our favorite tapas were the bravas (fried potatoes with a creamy sauce) for Jagger, mussels for Zach, and manchego cheese for Bhakti.

Now it was time to get to work! We learned that Valencian families all make paella together on Sundays every week (a fact we saw in practice and adopted ourselves during our whole five week stay in Spain). Zach was put to work grinding and blooming the saffron, while Jagger cut the jelly-like cuttlefish, and Bhakti seasoned an stirred the prawns. Everything is cooked on a special burner, and in a huge round bottomed pan in olive oil… but not just ANY olive oil,,, SPANISH olive oil! Why not Italian? Because who wants their paella to taste like a pizza?!

*This is a picture of a random group of folks making a HUGE paella just in the middle of the street in our neighborhood on a Sunday.

Everyone helped and Jose and Jordi taught us a TON! Bhakti took careful notes we used every week to continue to refine our paella skills. The class… and perhaps it could be said, life in Spain, was a great balance of learning and playing in the kitchen. When the paella was done we all took a shot of anise liquor (a tasty and sweet apple syrup for the kiddos) along with the traditional Valencia toast, “Salut I forca al canut!” which loosely translated means “Health and strength to the dog”. We will leave it to your imagination what exactly they mean when they say the “dog”.

We sat down to enjoy the fruits of the sea and of our labors. But first, a tomato salad of course! Can you guess what’s in this one? Olive Oil (Spanish), salt, capers, and tomatoes of course! Delish! The Paella was as tasty as can be. We wrapped up the meal with a traditional cake and sliced Valencia oranges… speaking of oranges… stay tuned for our future posts, (EVIL LAUGH)!

While some of the photos here are mine and Jagger’s, special credit for the very best ones goes to our friend and fellow worldschool parent Brian with whose family we got to share the class! Thanks Brian!