First of all, this article is dedicated to all the brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law in the world.
Since the RAE accepted the word paellera to designate the container where a paella is cooked, although pressured by the massive use in Latin American countries, we Valencians are still in flames. We are aware that both language and gastronomy are living organisms in constant evolution. Nothing and no one can stop the changes, they are not always for the better, as we see in today's society.
Precisely these two battlefields, language and gastronomy, generate a profound dialectic in this land, where unfortunately there are people capable of coming to blows. For example, this week a trial for hate crimes, public disorder and coercion began with 28 ultras sitting in the dock, accused of attacking journalists and attendees at the evening demonstration on October 9, 2017. Yes, six years later , so they can see how justice works. The trial began and at the first opportunity, with the supposed agreement of 26 of the 28 defendants, which meant significant reductions in sentences to avoid going to prison, everything agreed upon went to waste. The agreement also included payment of civil liability and costs. However, it seems that the defense lawyers did not read the letter properly; there was some nook and cranny where the order to restrain the attacked entities and people was contained. In other words, exile from the city of Valencia, which in some cases was three years. When they realized they became stupid. The president of the courtroom, quite indignant with the defense lawyers, apart from disgracing them for his "lack of professionalism", has suspended the trial until March 4, 2024. We'll see what happens then. It is not just any process. It is the first of these characteristics, where a group of people who, due to their ideology, broke up a demonstration due to manifest hatred of the Valencian language, are charged with the crime of hate.
Based on an event in court, something so ungastronomic, I make the following reflection: In Valencian, paella refers to the content and the container. The container where it is cooked and the resulting food are both paella. There is no way around it, no objection possible. It is like this, it has been like this, and it will continue to be this way here.
Outside of this, other variables come into play that increase the distortion. I imagine the difficulty for a Spanish speaker to put a paella and a frying pan on the same conceptual level. In Valencian it doesn't matter if it has handles or a handle, it will always be called paella. In other latitudes, since they only know pans with handles, when paella appears with handles and such a different shape, it does not occur to them to call it a frying pan, as we do. In his head, a frying pan is another thing that is used to fry, make tortillas and gazpachos, nothing more.
Paella is as basic and unique as ours. Its original, open design, with a shallow bottom, allows the water to evaporate quickly and the rice to reach its optimal cooking point in a short time. We know how to make rice in a thousand ways; It has allowed us to subsist with what we had, which was not much; We put creativity into a specific need, nourishing the clan. At the end of the run we are aware of having created a unique technique whose success is unanimous and global. Much to the chagrin of the French who until four days ago only insulted paella. It was quite sad to read great geniuses of French haute cuisine refer to paella as: "Gastronomic aberration" "Chaos brought to the kitchen" "A nonsense of ingredients, where the confusion of flavors is repulsive" "Totum revolutum of fish and meat... Crazy!"
Today paella is internationally acclaimed from every corner of the planet. I want to thank butter for allowing the French to painlessly insert their opinions into the "coulant au chocolat".
If the descendants of Robespierre ended up surrendering to paella, how can neologisms, changes and trends not appear! Thousands, millions... rice stickers, arrocities, paellicides, being included on NASA's menu, etc.
In places where they see a paella for the first time in their life, they will call it whatever they can: Pallella, paeela, pallellia or paellera, it doesn't matter. They will learn. What we have to be clear about is how to articulate a good speech from Valencia. Something similar to what Naples achieved in 2017 with pizza. (UNESCO Intangible Heritage of Humanity)
For us, its intellectual parents, it will continue to be conceptually the frying pan where we cook and also eat. An example of maximum efficiency and sustainability. Unlike the rest of us who, to enjoy a paella, will need to: buy a paella pan, look for a recipe or take a course, cook in that evil contraption and then serve it on plates and eat it with a fork.
Here, let's go with paella and au!
