Going with the Grain

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While almost every Spanish cook will claim that their recipe for paella is the best, most agree that the classic savory rice dish has but one true capital: Valencia. The medieval poor of this southern Spanish city were apparently the first to hit upon the idea of adding scavenged morsels of meat and vegetables to rice as a way of enlivening an otherwise meager diet — and the paella was born. Servants would take banquet scraps home, and farm laborers would search the fields for bits of vegetables and small game, with all of it ending up in the flat-bottomed pans that are still used to make paella today.

These peasant origins are the reason that true paella can contain everything from snails to rabbit (the chicken-and-seafood variant is a latter-day affectation that brings a concerned frown to the face of many Valencians). Paella's humble beginnings are also honored in paella picnics — still common in Spain — where whole families will gather for an outdoor cook-off, harking back to a time when communal meals were taken in the fields.

These days, paella purists will argue into the night about which kind of wood gives paella the best smoky flavor, whether or not onions should be added, if there are any circumstances in which seafood is permissible, and so on. But for those who have only ever tried the poor facsimile of paella served in tapas bars overseas, there can be little doubt about the best place for a general introduction to the real thing. Paella restaurants are to Valencia what sushi bars are to Tokyo or pizza parlors are to Naples. We give you four of the best:

LA PEPICA This venerable beachfront restaurant, tel: (34-96) 371 0366, is in its 107th year and remains a Valencian institution. Ernest Hemingway made a lengthy encomium to it in the notes for his novel, A Dangerous Summer.

RACO DEL TURIA The traditionalist's choice, Raco del Turia, tel: (34-96) 395 1525, serves paella and other time-honored Valencian dishes without a whit of concession to modern mores or methods. A cozy and intimate setting.

CASA CLEMENCIA Family recipes passed down through the generations are the lure at this little gem, tel: (34-96) 360 1001, conveniently located near the city center. Aside from paella, spicy eel dishes are a specialty.

GARGANTUA For Valencian cuisine with a modern twist, check out this imaginative (and pricey) hot spot, tel: (34-96) 334 6849. Fried camembert with bilberry sauce and fabulous homemade chocolate desserts are the menu's shining stars, along with several varieties of paella.