Rare is the day when controversy does not break out on social networks as a result of a foreign person sharing an alleged paella recipe. Being a dish so typical of Spanish gastronomy – especially from the Valencian Community –, users defend the traditional recipe tooth and nail, rejecting the less striking creations that try to give it a different twist.
In this context, the recipe that is causing astonishment on TikTok comes from the hand of a Canadian who has decided to call a rice and fruit preparation paella. The indignation is served.
Dre Pao is a Canadian living in Spain who has 220 thousand followers on his TikTok profile (@drepaoofficial), where he shares reviews, especially of snacks, as well as recipes. Specifically, his profile abounds with the most peculiar “paella” recipes: with beer, with chocolate, with soft drinks, with nougat, with roscón de Reyes… Basically, he mixes unusual ingredients with rice and calls it paella, unleashing a again the anger of users on the social network.
He recently shared the recipe for a paella with fruits for breakfast. To prepare it, first cook the rice using tropical-flavored Bifrutas brand juice, which contains milk as well as fruits, instead of water or broth. Then, with rice as a base, incorporate a variety of fruits: grapes, strawberries, blueberries, kiwis, orange and mango. “Try to have an open mind with this dish, it is sweet, refreshing and the perfect way to mix the flavor of Spain with your favorite fruit,” says the chef.
As expected, the comments section of the video is abuzz with criticism. “What kind of aberration is this,” one person asks. “To report you,” says one user. Another person says: “I understand that you want to call it paella but that's not it, better call it rice with things, this is an insult to Valencia.”
“I feel like crying suddenly”, “Just because it is made in a paella pan and has rice, you can't call it paella”, “Fed up with all this type of people who use the name paella to make anything”, “I went to the hospital due to anxiety when watching this video", "Stop making aberrations with an international dish, once it is funny, many are left over and you are making fun of the paella", are other comments that can be read in the publication. To the most reproaches, the creator of the video responds with humor, urging users to “open their minds.”
