Arroz

 

Rice (Oryza sativa) is the second highest produced cereal in the world, after corn. According to its shape, there are four kinds of rice: short grain, medium grain, long grain and wild rice. Short grain rice is used mostly in Asia, particularly in the elaboration of sushi. Medium grain rice is the one most used in the Spanish cuisine, while long grain rice is the most widely sold in the United States.

Much about rice has been discussed in the Paella section of this blog (check FUNDAMENTALS, or click here). Rice is the main ingredient in paella, in fact, it is paella’s most important ingredient, and different varieties of it are grown in different regions of Spain, particularly in the mediterranean belt. The best varieties to use for paella are Calasparra and Bomba; Calasparra grows in the mountains of Murcia, and Bomba grows near Valencia, in the Albufera (a freshwater lagoon that is separated from the Mediterranean by a thin strip of land). Other varieties are Senia, which grows in Sevilla, and Bahía, which grows in the Valencian Community. Bomba rice is particularly preferred for paellas, because it absorbs a lot of liquid and flavors from other ingredients, but at the same time, its grain is harder and stays whole.

These kinds of rice are inexpensive in Spain, but can be a bit pricey and hard to find in the United States, but you can use a good medium grain rice and obtain good results.

Sometimes I bring a bag or two of my favorite Bomba rice from Spain. But when in the United States, these are some of my favorite ones:

Matiz Bomba rice  1 kg or 2.2 lbs bag

Calasparra rice  1 kg or 2.2 lbs bag

Calasparra rice  pack of 2 1 kg or 2.2 lbs bags