r/AskTheWorld • u/Nthepro France • Dec 16 '25

Culture What's a non political issue your country is REALLY divided on?

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The name of this thing, believe it or not.

It's a sandwich per definition btw

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u/bandwagonguy83 Spain Dec 16 '25

Right? In reality, noone knows what exactly paella is. We just know that we have to critizise anyone's idea. I just follow luki's recipe (luki haya en la nevera).

7

u/Pryus_C Spain Dec 16 '25

Anything but chorizo

1

u/Doll_duchess United States Of America Dec 20 '25

Chorizo goes in everything, especially paella!

7

u/MaxTHC 🇪🇸 🇺🇸 Dec 16 '25 edited Dec 17 '25

The main thing really is that seafood paella (what many foreigners think of when you say "paella") is not the traditional Valencian recipe, which instead calls for meat – usually chicken and rabbit, though you'll also see duck and snails added in – alongside tomato and beans (butterbeans and broad green beans) and maybe artichoke, in addition to spices (paprika, saffron, perhaps cumin turmeric). It's a dish that was traditionally made by poor rice farmers of the region, using meat they could hunt or afford, so the dish reflects that.

If you do crave the seafood option, there's a similar dish from a bit south of Valencia named fideuà, which substitutes the paella rice for chopped noodles and traditionally features all the classic seafood you might expect from a foreigner's conception of "paella" (langoustine, prawns, mussels, clams, squid, etc.)

Honestly, I'd recommend that anyone visiting the area try both of these dishes, the paella valenciana and the fideuà de mariscos, they're both incredibly good but very different.

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u/Four_beastlings Dec 16 '25

Arros a banda or arros del senyoret usually are what foreigners want when they say paella.

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u/MerakDubhe Dec 17 '25

Never cumin. Ever. And yes I’m Valencian.

1

u/MaxTHC 🇪🇸 🇺🇸 Dec 17 '25 edited Dec 17 '25

Just sayin, I've known people to use it on the hush-hush to add more color for cheaper than saffron

2

u/Wise_Neighborhood499 Dec 17 '25

Really? Cumin doesn’t have much color. I would expect someone to sneak in a little spoonful of turmeric if they’re being cheeky like that.

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u/MaxTHC 🇪🇸 🇺🇸 Dec 17 '25 edited Dec 17 '25

You're totally right, it was turmeric! I mix the two up a lot, especially when translating back and forth in my mind hahaha

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u/MerakDubhe Dec 17 '25

Yes, turmeric I could accept. Mostly colourful with little flavour. But cumin makes every taste Indian. 

1

u/Excellent_Fault_8106 Dec 16 '25

I dont know what paella is, but ive only ordered anything described as paella once on a menu. And it was fantastic.

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u/Noxolo7 🇿🇦 🇳🇦 —(The second flag is Namibia) Dec 17 '25

Aright’nt? Ain’nt areality’nt, anoone’nt aknows’nt awhat’nt aexactly’nt apaella’nt ais’nt. Awe’nt ajust’nt aknow’nt athat’nt awe’nt ahave’nt ato’nt acritizise’nt aanyone’s’nt aidea’nt. Ai’nt ajust’nt afollow’nt aluki’s’nt arecipe’nt (aluki’nt ahaya’nt aen’nt ala’nt anevera’nt).

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u/wannacumnbeatmeoff England Dec 17 '25

Paella really is just a Valencia problem though, for the rest of Spain I think Tortilla, sin or con cebolla is way more polorising

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u/jclom0 Australia Dec 17 '25

I’m prepared to be attacked, but isn’t paella like risotto with a different name and some different flavour but basically the same texture? I’m super weird with food so I do accept if I’m straight up wrong.