Paella

Allergens at a glance

• OftenCrustaceansPrawns, langoustines (cigalas) and crab in seafood and mixed paella.
• OftenMolluscsMussels, clams and squid in seafood paella; snails in some Valencian ones.
• OftenFishSeafood paella is usually cooked in fish stock (fumet).
• SometimesSulphitesSome cooks add white wine, and prawns are often treated with sulphites.
• SometimesCelerySome stocks and stock cubes contain celery.
• SometimesGlutenSome stock cubes contain wheat; the rice itself is gluten-free.

Usually in the standard recipe. Often in many versions. Sometimes in some kitchens, or a cross-contact risk.

Diets

• Paella valenciana is chicken and rabbit with beans: no seafood, but sometimes snails.
• Vegetable paella (paella de verduras) exists; ask whether the stock is meat or fish.
• Not halal as standard; tourist versions sometimes add chorizo (pork).
• Usually gluten-free; fideuà, its noodle cousin, is not.

Recipes change from kitchen to kitchen. If you have an allergy, confirm every ingredient with the restaurant before you order.

What is paella?

Paella is a rice dish from Valencia, cooked in a wide, shallow two-handled pan (also called a paella) so the rice cooks in a thin layer and forms a crisp, toasted base. The original paella valenciana is a country dish of chicken, rabbit and green beans, not seafood. Seafood and mixed paellas came later and are what most visitors are served.

What's in it

• Rice: short-grain, usually Bomba or Senia.
• Base: olive oil, grated tomato, sweet paprika and saffron, sometimes garlic.
• Valenciana: chicken, rabbit, flat green beans, large white beans (garrofó), rosemary, and in some homes snails.
• De marisco: prawns (shrimp), langoustines, mussels, clams and squid, cooked in fish stock.
• Mixta: meat and seafood together, more common in tourist areas than in Valencia.

The crust on the bottom is called socarrat and it's prized. Cheaper kitchens often swap saffron for yellow food colouring (colorante).

Allergens and diets

The allergens depend on which paella you order. A seafood or mixed paella usually contains crustaceans (prawns, langoustines, crab), molluscs (mussels, clams, squid) and fish, because the rice is cooked in fish stock. Even if you push the shellfish aside, the rice has absorbed the stock.

Paella valenciana has no fish or shellfish, but some versions include snails, which are molluscs. Ask about them by name (caracoles or, in Valencian, vaquetes).

Some cooks add white wine, and frozen prawns are often treated with sulphites to stop them darkening. Commercial stock cubes can contain celery or wheat. Rice is gluten-free, but fideuà looks similar on a menu and is made with short wheat noodles.

On the menu

Look for paella valenciana, paella de marisco (seafood), paella mixta (mixed), paella de verduras (vegetable) and arroz negro (black rice coloured with squid ink, so molluscs). Arroz a banda is rice cooked in fish stock with the seafood served separately. Paella is usually cooked to order, often for a minimum of two, and takes 20 to 30 minutes. In Valencia it's traditionally a lunch dish.

Last checked 1 November 2026. Spotted something wrong? Email support@inventum.com.au.