The story
Paella comes from the countryside around Valencia, especially the rice fields of the Albufera lagoon just south of the city, where rice has been grown since Moorish times. Farm workers cooked rice in a wide, shallow pan over a wood fire, using what was at hand: rabbit, chicken, snails, green beans and butter beans, sometimes duck. The name is simply the Valencian word for the pan. The dish took its modern form in the 19th century and became a symbol of Valencia, then of Spain. Seafood and mixed versions came later, and many Valencians insist those are rice dishes, not paella.
Rival claims
Strictly, paella was born in the rice-growing countryside around the Albufera lagoon, roughly 10 to 15 km south of Valencia city (villages such as El Palmar and Sueca are often named), but Valencia is the universally cited home and the pin is a fair representative spot.
Also known as paella valenciana, Valencian paella.
On the Meridish menu
Paella was the rice & noodles course on menu No. 2 on October 2, 2026. Its clue in the game, which hints at the place without naming it:
Rice cooked in a wide, flat pan over an open fire. The original uses rabbit, chicken and green beans, not seafood.
In Meridish, every dish is pinned to the town or city most widely credited with creating it. A guess within 25 km scores all 100 points. How scoring works.
Sources
- visitvalencia.com/en/what-to-see-valencia/albufera
- barcelo.com/guia-turismo/en/spain/valencia/things-to-do/valencian-paella
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paella
Food history is often disputed. Think we've pinned it in the wrong place? Tell us at hello@meridish.com, ideally with a source.
