National dish or leftover food?

Today we have a look at paella, the leftover dish from Spain and how it was created. We've also included some inspiration on how other countries use their leftovers to prepare great recipes and wish you lots of fun cooking and enjoying them!

Die Paella mittlerweile das Nationalgericht der Spanier.
Photo by VK bro / Unsplash

The history of paella

Paella originated in the Valencia region around 1892. It was collected by field labourers as a nutritious meal from various leftovers and cooked in a pan over an open fire.

In the years that followed, the dish was cooked for the whole family on Sundays. Leftovers from the week were also utilised and, depending on the region, other ingredients were occasionally added.

This pretty dish, which could be prepared quickly for many people, became increasingly popular and is often referred to as the Spanish national dish. However, paella is a traditional dish of the Valencia region.

Over time, these variations have become famous:

  1. Paella de Marisco (with seafood)
  2. Paella mixta (with meat and seafood)
  3. Paella de verdura (vegetarian)
  4. Fideuà (with pasta instead of rice)
  5. Arroz al horno (rice from the oven)
  6. Arroz con costra (rice with a crust)
  7. Arroz en la olla (rice from the pot)
  8. Arroz Neger (black rice)

Try your own creation with the rest of the week. It's easy and delicious!

A variety of popular leftover dishes from around the world

It's great to see that many countries have their own leftover recipes and not only in Spain a great dish has been created from leftovers. Immerse yourself in the diversity of ideas in the world and let yourself be inspired.

  1. Austria - Tyrolean Gröstl was made from leftovers from the Sunday roast
  2. Italy - pizza
  3. France - Quiche
  4. Asia - Rice or noodles were fried with various leftovers
  5. North America - Casserole (leftover casserole)
  6. In Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg, Kirschmichel was made from stale white bread
  7. America and Great Britain made fruit crumble

These were our top 7 leftover dishes from all over the world. Do you have your own creations that are too good to remain secret? Then send the recipe to kontakt@speisekammer.app and we will include it in our next post.