It is a recurring formula on social networks: every time a foreign chef dares to share his recipe for Spanish food, Spaniards throw their hands up and criticize the chef in question. No matter how much it is always repeated, this pattern never fails to spark controversy.
The most recent is starring a typical recipe that is also often the result of debate, paella. A dish traditionally rooted in the Valencian Community that causes a sensation beyond its borders. While its main ingredient is undoubtedly rice, it seems that this has not been entirely clear to a TikTok user who has shared his own version.
TikTok user @ham1d.47 has more than 900 thousand followers on this social network, where he shares his recipes. He regularly publishes videos where he recreates typical recipes from other countries and on this occasion it was the turn of Spanish gastronomy.
It should be noted that the young man does not mention at any time that his recipe is a paella, but rather limits himself to the concept of “Spanish food.” However, based on the ingredients, the process and the final result, social network users have deduced that his intention was to prepare a paella.
The first thing the cook does is chop an onion and a green pepper, this being the first sacrilege that differs from the authentic Valencian paella. In a pan, he sautés shrimp and prawns and sets them aside. Next, he cooks the onion, red pepper (although he had previously cut a green one) and grated garlic.
He then begins to add a series of unmentioned ingredients, among which we can deduce that there is concentrated tomato sauce, salt and some spices. Continue adding another more liquid tomato sauce, water, a small amount of rice and peas, to finish the dish by placing the prawns and prawns, mussels and lemon slices.
In the comments, many people have thrown their hands up, the most repeated criticism being the ridiculous amount of rice that has been put on the plate, so little and so quickly that some have even believed that it has not even been put in rice. “That’s not a paella, but rice with seafood,” comments one user. “I am Valencian and I have fainted twice from seeing it,” says another.
It should be noted that if what we want to prepare is an authentic paella, we should never add ingredients such as onion or pepper, although we should add a good stir-fry. You don’t have to use broth either, just water.
Although it is obvious, it is worth emphasizing that rice must be the main ingredient. Furthermore, a Valencian paella should never be missing chicken, rabbit, green beans, garrofó (a dry white bean that is difficult to find outside the Valencian Community) and saffron.
