Ode to Paella

12 DECEMBER, 2024 | By Francisco Sanchez Galan

Ah, paella! That mythical dish, that culinary emblem of Spain, that universal delight capable of turning a simple weekday into a memorable celebration. Eight years of paella means eight years of gatherings, heated debates about rice texture, and endless stories about chorizo (or rather, its absence!). Let’s take a moment to sit around the table and celebrate this love for a dish that brings people together (and sometimes tests everyone’s patience).

Paella: A Dish That Brings People Together

Paella is so much more than a mix of rice, vegetables, and proteins. It’s the perfect excuse to gather everyone. Neighbours from 530, 599 or elsewhere you haven’t seen in a year? Invite them for paella. Spaniards around? Ask them to join the cooking team to avoid later criticisms and enjoy the deep expertise because of inherent nationality.

Every year, the same scene unfolds: the gas bottles are half empty (less than expected), chairs and tables are set up, and the large ladles come out. Paella is a collective dance where everyone has a role. There’s the one chopping peppers while cursing the dull knife, the one stirring the rice with the seriousness of a surgeon, the ones that tries to protect fire to be extinguished from wind and, of course, the one overseeing the cooking. This last one is inevitably holding a beer and lost in discussions with early birds about timing, cutting, quantities, and the heat capacity of butane vs. propane—all while attempting to restore some order to the preparation process.

The Wait: A sacred ritual

Ah, the wait! That moment when everyone watches the cook as if they were a priest at a sacred altar. Waiting for paella is almost as important as the dish itself. Every year, the suspense is unbearable. Will we make it the 13h30 meetings on time? Will the rice be too crunchy? Will it have the coveted crusty socarrat, that crispy treasure at the bottom of the pan?

And then there’s always the self-proclaimed food critic in the group. The one who, with the first bite, exclaims: “Hmm… This year, it’s missing a bit of saffron, don’t you think?” or “Last year, it was juicier.” We love them anyway, even if we secretly want to throw a shrimp at their face.

Chorizo: The Ultimate Heresy

But let’s talk about a serious matter. No, paella does not have chorizo. Listen closely, my friends, because this is a matter of culinary life and death. Adding chorizo to paella is like putting ketchup on a croissant: an unforgivable offense. Yet, every year, there’s that one naive guest who dares to ask: “So, when do we add the chorizo?”

There are two possible reactions to this question: either an icy silence and killer liquid Helium-like look that chills the space, or a passionate speech about the sanctity of the true-only Valencian recipe. “No, my dear, we don’t put chorizo in paella. Ever. And if you keep insisting, you’re banned from paella forever.”

Eigth Years of Memories

After eight years of paella, you collect unforgettable memories. There was the year the rice was uncooked at the surface while stuck to the bottom, and everyone had to scrape their portion with a wooden spoon. Or that infamous day when gas mix started to burn close to the gas bottles, causing chaos worthy of a sitcom episode.

But above all, there were those moments when, around the table, between bites of rice, we laughed, we talked, and we shared simple joys. In the end, paella is just an excuse. What truly matters are the people around it, the ones who come back every year, patiently waiting for the rice to be perfect.

So, for the next years of paella, let’s raise our forks and pledge never, ever, to let a piece of chorizo come near our sacred pan. To paella, to friendship, and to the happiness we share, year after year!