The beautiful rice of Valencia

I have been daydreaming about rice. Not any rice. The rice of Valencia: Arroces. Each grain infused with a most flavourful broth. It’s texture deliciously chewy.

Every chance I had to choose a rice dish on a menu del día in Valencia, I did. Still, this did not satiate my appetite. It only made me want to eat more rice.

Rice is a huge part of Valencian culture. The tradition starts in the rice fields on the outskirts of the city. I took a short bus ride, 10 km south of the city, to visit the Albufera Natural Park. The large park is home to wetlands, bird sanctuaries, beaches, sand dunes, and, hectares and hectares of rice fields. 120 million kilograms of rice (D.O.C. Arroz de Valencia) are grown each year. The type of grain is important too. Varieties like Arroz Bomba, Arroz Senia and Arroz Bahia are short grain, compact, almost round. These pearly grains can absorb a lot of moisture, three times more than other varieties. That’s a lot of flavour. Even after cooking the rice stays pleasantly firm.

The Albufera is also where paella was invented. This famous dish gets its name from the shallow rimmed pan it’s cooked in. If it’s not prepared in a paella pan, it’s not paella. It is still served in Arrocerías (restaurants specializing in rice) in the park, often with beach views.

I had intended to see the rice fields when I visited the Albufera. Rice paddies surround the large fresh water Lake Albufera. A thin stretch of land separates this lagoon from the sea. I completely underestimated the distances. After walking a long way along the sunny coast and through shady trails under pines, I realized the lagoon was beyond my reach. I did not see rice paddies, other than in photos on the many information signs through the park.

A happy consolation was the gorgeous long white beach. And undulating sand dunes. This delicate ecosystem of sand dunes and rare plants is called the Dehesa.

Back in El Cabanyal I easily found the rice museum (Museo del Arroz). It was a lovely little museum. Similar to the ceramic museum in Triana, which is housed in an old ceramics factory, the rice museum is located in an old rice mill. The museum is essentially the restored mill in operation. All the original equipment was taken apart, cleaned and repaired. This allows you to see how rice was processed in the early 1900s – from cleaning and polishing to sorting and packaging in large burlap bags.

I had all three floors of the mill to myself. When I entered, the attendant flipped on the machines. Just for me. I heard the engines roar. The ducts rattle. The pulleys flap. The rhythmic strokes of the mechanical sifters echoed through the space as the mill came to life.

I enjoyed my visit to the Museo del Arroz. Admittedly it’s not the early 20th century quality control machines that I am day dreaming about now. It’s the dishes made from this quality rice.

And there are so many glorious dishes to choose from. Paella is the most well known. It is not however, the only.

This was new information for me.

I had never heard of Arroz Meloso or Arroz Caldoso before my trip to Valencia. Cousins of paella, Arroz Meloso is creamier with the addition of more broth, and Arroz Caldoso is almost a soup. I never did try a Caldoso. I did have a Meloso. The Fesols i Naps (fat white beans and pork ribs) at Bodega de Aldeana was one of my favourite dishes of the trip. It was absolutely delicious. I scooped out every last grain from the big iron pot.

Are you keeping up? That’s 3 types of rice dishes:

1. Paella – dry rice (meaning all broth is absorbed)
2. Arroz Meloso – creamy
3. Arroz Caldoso – brothy

But wait. There is more. These Spaniards have concocted one more rice-related dish. Let’s call it a second cousin. It is prepared like a paella but not with rice.

A fideuà is made with noodles. Pasta meets paella. Delicious.

Are you overwhelmed for choice? I have not even addressed the flavour combinations.

Look at the section for Arroces on a restaurant menu and you will find many options. Arroces can be made with mixed seafood, shrimp (langosta), lobster (bogavente), squid ink (negra), chicken (pollo), duck (pato), vegetables (verduras) and more. The most traditional of all is Paella Valenciana. It’s made with rabbit, chicken, garrofó (a type of lima bean) and local green beans. The day I had a seafood paella at the Marina, my waiter suggested Paella Valenciana was “a must” while in Valencia.

I asked him which was his favourite dish. He pointed to the one in front of me: Arroz Senyoret. I was perfectly happy with my choice that day. All the rice dishes I ate in my week in Valencia were amazing. I ran out of time to follow my server’s suggestion. I will have to return for Paella Valenciana…and Arroz Caldoso….and more Fesols i Naps. The list goes on. The small white grain from Valencia stars in many delectable dishes.

Can you see why I am daydreaming of rice?