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National Spanish Paella Day

Food · March 27

A day for paella, the Spanish rice dish cooked in a wide, shallow pan with saffron, and shared straight from the pan at the table.

National Spanish Paella Day falls on Saturday, March 27, 2027. That is 151 days away.

Paella is a rice dish from Spain, cooked in a wide, shallow pan that gives the dish its name. It comes from the Valencia region, where rice has long been grown along the coast.

The classic Valencian version uses chicken, rabbit, green beans and sometimes snails. Seafood paella swaps those for shrimp, mussels and squid, and mixed versions combine land and sea. Saffron gives the rice its golden color and a faint, honeyed aroma. Short, round grains of rice soak up the broth without turning to mush.

Paella is not stirred the way risotto is. Once the rice goes in, the cook mostly leaves it alone so it can cook evenly in a thin layer. Near the end, the bottom crisps into a toasted crust called socarrat, and many people consider it the best part. Scraping for it with a spoon is expected.

The pan usually goes right to the middle of the table, and people eat from it together. A big paella cooked outdoors over a wood fire is a common sight at Spanish gatherings, and some cooks still prefer orange or vine wood for the smoke.

At home, a large skillet works if there is no paella pan in the cupboard. The real requirement is patience at the end, listening for the soft crackle that means the crust is forming.

Ways to celebrate

• Cook a simple paella in your widest skillet.
• Listen for the crackle and try to make socarrat.
• Share a paella straight from the pan with friends.
• Try a vegetable paella with artichokes and peppers.
• Look up how Valencian and seafood paellas differ.

Dates

All national days on March 27

Also on March 27

• International Whisk(e)y Day
• National Joe Day
• Quirky Country Music Song Titles Day
• National Scribble Day

Categories: Food days