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The Mediterranean cuisine of the east coast has been enriched by centuries of foreign influence, from the Romans and the Moors especially. Olives, rice, oranges, almonds and saffron are combined with produce from the sea and the mountains.

The varied cooking of Catalonia embraces sweet and savoury combinations, fish stews, snails and several classic sauces, like spicy romesco made from red peppers, tomatoes and chillies.

High-quality fruit and vegetables, such as ñora peppers, grow on the fertile coastal plains of Valencia and Murcia. Paella is the best known of the many rice dishes of these two regions. The cold, dry, mountain air of Aragón is ideal for curing ham.

In spite of the diversity of the cuisine, several dishes appear everywhere in Spain. One is the Tortilla (nothing to do with the Mexican tortilla), a round, flat omelet made with chopped potatoes, and a favorite fare in bars specializing in tapas, those small, bite-sized dishes served with drinks

PAELLA

The Valencian paella, is the typical dish in Valencian gastronomy and forms part of a healthy mediterranean diet which obviously includes many other spanish food products. A typical paella is made with rice, chicken, rabbit and greens in a paella pan. Each village has its own variations and preferences because rice mixes well with so many different ingredients. However, the most popular specialities are the meat paella (with chicken or rabbit), the seafood paella and the mixed one.

Among fishermen, a dish known as arroz banda evolved, so called because the rice and the fish are cooked separately, for the flavour to be taken in, and it is served with garlic and oil (all I olí). Rice done in the oven in an earthenware dish is also extremely popular among Valencian families, together with rice and beet, cuttlefish, cauliflower and spinach, among other ingredients.

In the region of La Safor, a dish known as fideau is made. This is similar to rice with seafood, but noodles are used instead of rice.

	ARROZ AL HORNO It is a dry rice, cooked in the oven with a casserole with broth and pieces of pig meat, chickpeas, potato, tomato and garlic.
	PAELLA It's the undisputable queen of the valencian dishes, and by far the most international. It is a popular dish born in the rice fields; that's why it takes basic and cheap ingredients: rice rabbit, chicken, vegetables… At first, it was prepared in all types of pans, but once it acquired taste and presentation, pans were discarded and a proper utensil was invented: a wide, solid and flat pan that everybody knows with the name of "Paella".
	FIDEUA In its origins, as many other dishes typical of the coast, it was a simple dish for sailors. Gandía, and the area of La Safor in general, is the origin that has given it more fame.
	ARROZ A BANDA Though it is prepared with fish broth and prawns In fact, this rice doesn't need expensive fishes, and both ingredients are preparedseparatedly
	ALL I PEBRE It's the second traditional dish in importance, one of the most representative in the Comunidad Valenciana and receives its name from two of the ingredients it is prepared with: garlic and peppers. It is a dish born in the marshy rice fields, abundant in the coast. The most traditional area for this dish is La Albufera (a huge fresh water lake near the city of Valencia)
	HORCHATA A traditional drink is the sweet 'horchata' made from tiger nut milk and almonds. Agua de Valencia is another drink made with orange juice mixed with Catalonian wine called Cava

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WINES

Valencia like most of of the provinces in Spain makes it´s own wines. CLICK ON WINES for more info

EXPORTS

Valencias biggest exports are Oranges and rice. CLICK ON ORANGES AND RICE for more info

Valencia has many spanish food products as part of it´s mediterranean diet including paella (mainly seafood and rice) which makes for excellent gastronomy.