Valencia food & drink

Moors from North Africa occupied Valencia for five centuries, bringing with them the art of rice cultivation. Rice paddies are still found all along the coast, their introduction is perhaps one of the most enduring influences on the region’s gastronomy. Today rice is the mainstay of Valencia's coastal cuisine.

The famous Valencian paella was once a peasant dish – and was probably prepared here for the first time over a thousand years ago. Its recipe chopped and changed depending on seasonal availability, but nowadays the authentic “paella valenciana” is made up of chicken, rabbit and vegetables. But it’s far from the only rice dish in the region. Valencianos usually say that there is a different rice recipe for every day of the year.

In the Alicante province, the fideuá, a form of noodle, is used instead of rice. It’s so popular that towns along the coast hold competitions to see who can produce the most flavoursome dish.

Further inland, in the foothills and the mountains, the olla – or stew – is one of the most common forms of preparing food. Cooked slowly in a large ceramic pot the rich stew, which can include beef, pork, lamb or game, makes a sustaining meal that's perfect for a cool day in winter.

Salted cod, or Bacalao, is a staple in many inland areas. Before refrigeration, it was impossible to get fresh fish in these areas. Step forward salted fish, which lasted a good deal longer. Cooks just needed to soak it well to remove the salt, and flake it into dishes to add a distinctive flavour.

Who doesn’t love a good sausage? The longanizas, produced in the mountain areas of Valencia have achieved local fame. Flavoured with wild herbs, from fennel to rosemary and thyme their unique taste makes them much in demand everywhere in Valencia, from simple bars and cafes to top class restaurants.

Drink

Vines have been cultivated in Valencia since Neolithic times. Over the centuries, the process of wine making, and the cultivation of grapes has changed and been refined by waves of new settlers. The result? Today, the region produces some of the best wines of the Iberian peninsula.

There are three Denominations of Origin (D.O.) in the region of Valencia: Alicante, Utiel-Requena and Valencia. The D.O. of Alicante is famous for its sweet muscatel dessert wines and in particular, a white wine with a high alcohol content called Fondillón. In the D.O. Utiel-Requena, tempranillo, cabernet-sauvignon and merlot grapes are grown in abundance. The red bobal grape is the star of the show – and much in demand by French winemakers.