I am looking for any recommendtaions in the Andalucia area of Spain for authentic Paella. I have read articles that say many restauarants serve paella, but they're not authentic. Apparently many of them just open a frozen bag of seafood and mix it up. We make Paella at home and can do the same thing, but since we're going to Spain and the home of paella, we do not want to be disappointed with a fast-food paella. Thank you in advance.

Andalucia is very big, so you better focus on exact locations.

Paella is not really an Andalucian dish. It's Catalonian.

And maybe it's just me, I wouldn't trust an Andalusian restaurant that claimed to serve "authentic" paella anymore than I would a Philadelphia restaurant that claimed to serve authentic barbecue.

Andalucian cuisine is quite tasty. I'd stick with that.

http://www.andalucia.com/gastronomy/

Although Paella is served in much of Spain, for authentic Paella I recommend you head for Valencia.

I have to agree with Robert2533, Zeppole; Paella is widely accepted from the Valencia area, not from Cataluña although there are many different types of Paellas and I am sure everybody would like to take the credit for the original recipe.

I have had it in many styles, from the mountain style including rabbit, snails and green beans to the better known “Marinera”, with sea food, and don’t forget “Paella Negra” or black paella using squid ink.

I don’t believe you really need to go to Valencia to enjoy the best one, neither you have to go to Madrid to eat Cocido or to Asturias to eat Fabada. I am positive there are very good restaurants in the rest of the country, including the Andalucian area.

amberjack is correct, you don't have to go to Valencia to enjoy authentic Paella.

You should take a look at Explore Seville (http://www.exploreseville.com/), probably the best source of current information on the city, to see what restaurants they recommend.

I suspect you can find good paella in many places, including outside of Spain, and there are indeed different styles. The most popular style with foreigners is made with seafood -- which is actually not "authentic" if one is talking about the history of paella.

Whoever else would like to take credit for creating paella, I think the honor really does go to the catalanas of Valencia, whose classic recipe doesn't include seafood. I don't know if Andalucian restaurants are required by law to declare whether or not they use frozen seafood in their preparations.

Anyway, perhaps someone can tell kommander18 where they enjoyed paella made with fresh seafood somewhere near where he or she plans to be in Valencia. But there are a lot of great seafood dishes that are Andalucian in origin and I would also encourage kommander18 to try them.

But I just noticed something, amberjack:

You make a distinction between Valencia and Catalunya which I don't think can be maintained in terms of cooking (or language). Although present day maps divide the people of Valencia from what is now officially Catalonia, or Catalunya, it's a bit like the Kurds in Turkey being separated from the Kurds in Iraq -- although there are differences in dialect and some other differences.

Catalan cuisine, with a picture of paella:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catalan_cuisine

God, Zeppole, please donīt get yourself into big problems.

We will have to wait for Kenderina and Lincasanova to explain you the difference between Cataluña and Valencia.

Next week, you will be reannexing Languedoc, I guess.

Bye, Cova

I'm ready for them!

But sticking to food and the meaning of authentic cuisine from anywhere, I think if someone came onto Fodor's and posted:

"Pizza in Italy--

I am looking for recommendations in Bologna for authentic pizza. Since we are going to Italy and the home of pizza, we do not want be disappointed."

I suspect several posters would feel remiss not to point out immediately that "authentic" pizza in Italy is Neopolitan, and for that, one is more likely to hit a bull's eye visiting Napoli for restaurants serving truly authentic pizza.

Is there Roman pizza? Yes (thank god). Sicilian? Ditto. Can you find good Neopolitan pizza in Bologna -- or even Brooklyn. Sometimes -- although quality may be compromised by distance.

Is there non-frozen paella enjoyed by Andalucians or restaurants in Andalucian serving good paella Valencian? Maybe.

But it doesn't hurt to know more when it comes to authenticity.

Hi Zeppole and thank you Cova:

I did make a difference in cuisine by region based on current information, not by fourteenth century kingdoms. Even though the roots are the same, actual differences exist between de communities of Cataluña and Valencia, starting with language, local government, etc.

I also recommend checking the same website you listed but this time for Valencian cuisine:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valencian_cuisine

and you will notice that one of the main dishes for this community is Paella; you will not see the same for Catalan cuisine.

Anyway, you are correct; we should recommend Kommander18 places to eat around his/her stay (in Andalucia, not Valencia) and leave the political divisions for another forum. I found the website below and I hope it is helpful.

http://www.10best.com/Seville,Spain/...rants/Spanish/

14th century kingdoms?

Excuse me. Both the cuisine and the language of the Valencia is Catalan. I don't think you can find a serious scholar who'll say otherwise.

Yes, there are differences in dialect, but claims for an independent language have been disproved over and over. '

Subject here is food. I stick with my analogy above about authenticity -- and I am sure kommander18 can get tasty seafood paella somewhere in Andalucia, and that's all that matters in the end (for kommander18, I would think).

*** "Subject here is food. I stick with my analogy above...."

If subject here is food, why did you open your reply with:

"Paella is not really an Andalucian dish. It's Catalonian."

kommander18 was looking for a restaurants that serve paella in the Andalucia area, that's all. If you want to argue about political issues, check below:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valencian

Cuisine is regional and historical, not political.

In referring to my analogy above, I was talking about where to go for authentic pizza in Italy.

But ---

I take it all back.

If you want authentic pizza in Italy, don't listen to those people who go on about Napoli. They're just being political! (Not.)

Anyway, I think it's just a fact that paella was created by the Valencians, who are Catalans. And I think the few people -- in and out of Valencia -- who say otherwise are incorrect. And I think mine is the majority view, although perhaps not on Fodor's.

kurds and turks????????????


as far as paella goes, i wish i knew an authentic place in andalucía for you. i am sure many of the cooks there can whip up a good rice dish, whether it is authentic valencian paella, or just a tasty rice. it is only a name.

in valencia we only call PAELLA, the valencian paella (chicken/rabit/fabas/flat green beans an occasional snail and rice)

or marisco(seafood paella)

or mixta (a bit of both).

all others are called "rices".

confusion can arise as "paella" is also the name of the flat metal pan it is prepared and cooked in.

lin--I don't get your multiple question marks. I said nothing about Turks. I was talking about Kurds and Kurds, separated by an abstract politically drawn line, like Catalans and Catalans.

But thanks for clearling up that in Valencia, paella refers to a singular dish (made without seafood).

In case anybody is interested, the Italian word for pan is "padella."

On the more general point of seeking out authentic cuisine in order to taste the real deal, the first time I went to Italy, there were many Italian dishes I had loved eating in the US that I was eager to try in Italy. But when I landed in Venezia eager to try pesto, and semolina gnocchi, and limoncello, I was glad I was steered away from ordering those things in Venezia. Now that I live in Italy, I am certain it would have misled me about how that dish should really taste.

When I found out the best pesto wasn't in Venezia, I stopped looking for it there. I ate Venetian specialties instead. Up to kommander18 what to do regarding paella -- and Andulusians no doubt have their own rices cooked up in pans -- but there's lots of good food that isn't paella in Andalucia.

We will have to wait for Kenderina and Lincasanova to explain you the difference between Cataluña and Valencia.

I see Lincasanova is already here....You should listen to her she knows best/ You can also do a search and there are several interesting and informative paella threads.

I am making one for my brother & BIL family tomorrow as my own birthday present!

ams

sorry about the misunderstanding. was online too late to pay better attention.. sorry.

sometimes i read these threads too quickly, i guess!

i doubt i will enter an explanation of valencia and cataluña. it is very obvious. although there have been attempts to EXTEND cataluñaīs borders south of where valencians historically have mapped them. it is an ongoing affair.

to see valenciaīs importance and its kingdom, just google "regno de valencia" or kingdom of valencia, which included cataluña and the balearic islands.

now, valenciano and catalán.. ho hum... yawn... letīs change the subject.