Paella: A Wide Pan with a Story
A wide pan sits over a fire, filled with rice, vegetables, and pieces of meat. As the liquid bubbles away, the rice takes in its flavor. This is one way to make paella, a rice dish whose story begins in the Valencia region of eastern Spain.
Roots in Valencia
Rice has grown around Valencia for centuries. Wet fields near the coast provide conditions for growing it, and local cooks have long used rice in many dishes. Paella developed in the countryside, where people cooked rice with ingredients they could find nearby. Over time, it became a dish enjoyed at family meals and celebrations as well as in restaurants.
A traditional version called paella valenciana often includes chicken, rabbit, green beans, and large white beans called garrofó. Tomato, olive oil, water, and saffron may also be used. Saffron is a spice made from parts of a flower. It adds flavor and helps give the rice a golden color. Ingredients and methods can vary among cooks and communities, even within Valencia.
Why is the pan so wide?
- region:
- An area of a country or the world.
- centuries:
- Periods of one hundred years.
- ingredients:
- Foods or other items combined to make a dish.
- shallow:
- Not very deep.
- surface:
- The outside or top area of something.
- absorbs:
- Takes in a liquid or another substance.
- distinctive:
- Having qualities that make something noticeably different.
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Preview questions from this passageShowHide
- 1How did the area around Valencia help paella develop?
- 2How does the shape of a paella pan help the rice cook?
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About this explanatory article passage for Upper Elementary
“Paella: A Wide Pan with a Story” is a explanatory article reading passage about Food Traditions, written for Upper Elementary. It takes about 3 minutes to read (495 words) and comes with an interactive quiz and a printable worksheet with comprehension questions and an answer key.