Learn how to prepare a seafood paella with our new My Spanish Kitchen video

Paella is one of the best known recipes from Spain, and all around the world it comes in all sorts of combinations. In this video, we’re making a popular riff on paella too – with seafood. So to be true to authentic paella, this dish is more commonly known as “arroz con mariscos” or “paella de mariscos.”

What’s the best part of a paella? Spaniards often point to one word: “socarrat,” the crispy rice at the bottom of a paella pan.

Not only do Spaniards love rice today, but they also brought Chinese rice to the Americas as part of the Columbian Exchange along with wheat and barley. In many areas, rice displaced some native pseudograins like quinoa, maize, and amaranth. Today, rice is a central component of dishes like “gallo pinto,” the national dish of Costa Rica and Nicaragua or “pabellón criollo,” the national dish of Venezuela.