Turn to some gastronomic terms with the idiosyncrasy and magic that they bring as standard, such as Dénia prawns, bonbon, Almussafes, paellas with their respective rice dishes and paellicides; Barrachina, the Bollo de Requena and other rural and urban legends.
ALL I OLI: Emulsion made with garlic, olive oil, salt, and nothing else. It is the sauce preferred by Valencians to accompany meats, spread on sandwiches and it is also used to flavor arroz a banda and fideuà when they do not come out perfect.
PROFESSIONAL LUNCH EATER: Unemployed person with no job or benefit who has found a way to make a living in the Valencian lunch. He is a guy who brags about not having a refrigerator at home and not paying for his own lunches. He does it by resorting to tricks known as “collaborations”. They do not need to have any knowledge about Valencian gastronomic tradition or culture, they only need to have an Instagram, Facebook or Tiktok account, and a lot of face. It is an expanding species.
ALMUSSAFES: Sig.1: Popular sobrasada, cheese and onion sandwich. Ironed and warm is much better. Sig.2: Municipality of the Valencian Community, belonging to the Ribera Baja region. In this town is one of the largest automobile factories in Europe, owned by the Ford Motor Company, although with the barbarity of millions that the Generalitat has put in, it could very well belong to all Valencians.
ARROCITIES: Atrocities contrary to Valencian paella. Example: Jamie Oliver’s recipe with peas, chorizo ??and onion.
BARRACHINA: Illustrious surname of the Valencian hospitality industry. Barrachina establishments in the Plaza del Ayuntamiento, corner with Sangre, were a reference for all the people who came to Valencia. Their black and white sandwiches, pepitos, ice creams and slushies are in the memory of those children who are boomers today. It was also a nerve center for the artists and bullfighting world. It marked an entire era by promoting the modernization of the local hospitality industry. The store closed in 1992, but the saga continues.
REQUENA BUN: Lean cake, and vice versa.
CAVA DE REQUENA: Goal by the team of winemaker Vicente García for the D.O. Cava, which opened the thunder box to be able to make sparkling wines, following the Champanoise method, not only in Requena, but in any region outside of Penedés.
DÉNIA PRAWN: Seafood of high gastronomic value, belonging to the Aristeidae family. During its biological cycle it roams with absolute freedom throughout the Mediterranean, but inexplicably remains absorbed in front of the Dianense coast only to be captured there. In reality, the name is explained by the care and respect with which the hospitality industry in the capital of Marina Alta treats this delicious crustacean.
VINAROZ PRAWN: Delicate seafood, just like the Dénia prawn, it is caught in front of a specific town, Vinaroz. In its tail you can see the colors of the republican flag. The Benicarló prawns are just as delicious but with nuances of artichoke in the aftertaste.
LLETEROLES: Exquisite delicacy for the palates of Valencians. You should not explain to young people what “leteroles” are until they have eaten them. They are glands of the lamb that disappear completely when the animal becomes an adult. They are also called gizzards. There are leteroles from other animals, but the really appreciated ones are lamb, sautéed with young garlic.
MANUAL FOR EATING PAELLA: Procedure adopted by Valencians to share paella without having to use plates. Hoteliers prefer to plate it, although the tradition is maintained mainly in the family and festive sphere. There is a detailed manual of customary rules compiled in 2016 by yours truly, to prevent this way of sharing paella from falling into oblivion. The content is available for consultation and dissemination on the official wikipaella website.
PAELLA: Rice cooked in paella with the ingredients you have on hand. To be considered an authentic paella, the final result of the rice must be: whole, loose, dry and tasty.
PAELLA CHAPA: Paella for two cooked and served in a 25 cm diameter container. Are trendy. It looks like a burnt sticker in the center, where more than 60% of the metal base is exposed. Its ferruginous flavor and high acrylamide content make it a food that is not recommended. In addition, the price per serving leaves the bank account overdrawn. They are also known as Shin-Chan paellas.
VALENCIAN PAELLA: Problematic paella subjected to scrupulous protocols, with the incorporation of hobbies, family traditions, fictional stories, Santeria spells and personal tricks of each master. Its preparation requires 10 mandatory ingredients and 8 variables, accepted by tribal consensus at an indeterminate time in the recent history of the city of Valencia and its surroundings. Beyond the cap i casal, paella is simply a meal to share and enjoy.
PAELLICIDE: Dying of shame for the shitty paella you’ve made. It usually happens when there is more need and commitment to look good to the invited diners. The most common paellicide is the first time that rice is cooked for the future in-laws.
RIURAU: Rural architecture of indescribable beauty associated with the transformation of grapes into raisins. It is a characteristic construction of the Marina Alta region, although there are also in neighboring regions. It has nothing to do with San Fermín.