If there's one Valencian dish that everyone's heard of it's paella. Paella gets its name from the pan used to cook the rice - the paella is a saucepan with two handles. It must be at least 30 cm, in diameter and is quite shallow, with the edges 4 or 5 cm high, depending on the diameter.
Food and Drink in Valencia
Valencian food is typically Mediterranean and there are an endless variety of dishes. Common ingredients include fish, shellfish such as the red prawn, molluscs such as tellinas - clams - and clóchinas - a local mussel variety, vegetables, desserts with Arabic roots and, last but certainly not least, rice.
Bodegas Baviera, with more than 150 years of life, is an excellent winery in the historic center of Valencia (very close to the Lonja de la Seda), with a wide selection of wines from the wine regions of Valencia and all over Spain, as well as vermouths, sherry, cognacs and liqueurs.
The Valencia's food and drink is characterised by its Mediterranean flavour, the richness of its ingredients and the simplicity of its preparation, and is highly prized by the most discerning of palates. Its most typical dishes is made by ingredients like rice, oranges, seafood and fresh fruit and vegetables.
Visitors must sample the Valencia denominacion de origen wines, such as the Alto Turia and Utiel-Requena whites, and in particular the reds, rosés and cavas. Utiel-Requena is a designation of origin for wines from the Utiel-Requena region.
Valencia Restaurants
The Valencians love eating out and the city has about 1,500 restaurants and over 330 cafés. This means that in places like El Ensanche or El Carmen, a restaurant is never far away. Lunch is normally served from 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. and dinner from 9 p.m. and 11:30 p.m., although some are open all day. It's best to reserve your table at the weekend in most establishments.
