If Don Quixote were alive today, his loyal squire most likely wouldn’t be named Sancho Panza, but Sando Panta from Telish. Jokes aside, Bulgarians have definitely made Spain a second home given our large diaspora there. This obligates us to know what our new Spanish brothers and sisters love to eat!
While paella, tapas, and jamón are the most famous delicacies associated with the Iberian nation, they barely scratch the surface of its culinary significance. Spain is the birthplace of the iconic El Bulli restaurant and Chef Ferran Adrià—the chef who changed global cuisine forever. It is also the nation that brought all the fruits and vegetables of the New World back to Europe. The Spanish shared their culinary expertise with South and North America while adopting the very best from the Middle East and North Africa. No wonder Spanish restaurants have dominated high-end gastronomy rankings for the past 20 years.
The Legend of Pimentón: The King of Smoked Paprika
Spanish smoked paprika, better known as Pimentón, is one of the most widely used spices in Spain today. Yet, it only became an integral part of their food traditions in the 17th century. When King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella welcomed Christopher Columbus at a monastery in Guadalupe upon his return from his second voyage to the Americas in the 15th century, they were entirely unimpressed by the peppers he brought back. They found the aroma strange, but that didn’t stop the local monks from cultivating them. Soon enough, the peppers spread across the entire region of Extremadura.
Today, the finest smoked paprika in the world—Pimentón de La Vera—is produced near that original monastery garden around the Tiétar River in the La Vera region. There, the spring is mild and humid, while the summer is dry and warm—a perfect combination for growing these specific peppers.
The Traditional Process of Pimentón de La Vera:
- Oakwood Smoking: In autumn, the harvest is placed in specialized drying houses, where the peppers are dried and smoked simultaneously using smoke exclusively from oakwood. This gives the paprika its signature character.
- Manual Labor: For two weeks, farmers turn the single-layered peppers entirely by hand.
- Slow Stone-Milling: The smoked peppers are ground using very slowly rotating stone mills, as the heat generated by friction alters the vibrant color and delicate aroma of the paprika.
This precious powder is irreplaceable in Spanish charcuterie like chorizo and lomo, and it provides the perfect flavor and authenticity for a great paella.
Bomba, Saffron, and Craftsmanship: Anatomy of the Perfect Paella
Paella is Spain’s most famous dish, originating in the early 19th century in the Valencia region. It was initially a peasant dish, where workers cooked rice with beans and whatever meat was available—mostly rabbit or chicken. Today, countless variations exist, but for Spaniards, the only true classic is Paella Valenciana (made with green and white beans, rabbit, chicken, and sometimes snails).
To cook a phenomenal paella, you need three key components:
1. Bomba Rice (Arroz Bomba)
This is a short, pearly, round-grained rice, which gives it its name (“bomb rice”). It possesses the unique ability to absorb up to three times more liquid than regular rice without the grains bursting or becoming mushy.
Important Note from Spizing: Arborio rice, which is commonly used for risotto, is not a good substitute here. It has too much starch and tends to stick together, which is a major flaw when making paella.
2. Genuine Saffron
This is the spice that gives the dish its iconic golden hue. Because of its high price, even in Spain, colorants and substitutes are often used, but true masters rely on the original. A unique feature of Spanish cooking is that saffron is lightly toasted right before use to activate its aromatic essential oils and intensify its color.
3. Craftsmanship (The Art of Socarrat)
Cooking paella over an open fire in a massive round pan requires immense experience with heat and timing—highly comparable to mastering a traditional Bulgarian cheverme (spit-roast). A paella is deemed perfect only when it meets the following conditions:
- All the rice grains are uniformly cooked—none are mushy and none are raw—and they remain separate and evenly seasoned.
- The liquid is completely absorbed, and the color of the rice is a rich golden hue, not an artificial, bright yellow.
- A socarrat has formed at the bottom of the pan—a lightly toasted, crispy crust that hasn’t stuck or burned. This crust is a concentrate of flavor, and every guest must get a piece of it when served.
Quick Alternatives: Tapas and Iberian Classics
If you want to bring the spirit of Spain into your kitchen today, check out our two easy video recipes:
1. Video Recipe: Tender Spanish Pork Skewers
Made from tender pork tenderloin, these skewers are grilled for just 2–3 minutes per side, keeping the meat incredibly juicy.
2. Video Recipe: Huevos Estrellados (Spanish Eggs and Potatoes)
As the nation that introduced potatoes to Europe, Spaniards put them in almost everything. Huevos estrellados (shattered eggs with potatoes) is one of the most popular and beloved recipes on the Iberian Peninsula, eaten at any time of day for breakfast, lunch, or dinner (known in France as a Spanish omelet).
A classic comfort recipe combining crispy potatoes, perfectly cooked eggs, and a generous pinch of aromatic Spanish spice mix by Spizing: