A Spanish Affair

Every year,from the beginning of spring till the end of summer,the aroma of paella hangs heavily over the streets of Spain. On Friday,Delhi caught its whiff at the courtyards of DLF Emporio in Vasant Vihar. Paella (pronounced pa-eh-ya),is a saffron-infused rice dish made with seafood,chicken,pork or beef. In an initiative by the Spanish embassy in Delhi,chefs from the Capital and Madrid got together for a day-long festival to raise awareness about Spanish foods and wines; a cuisine that is not easily found in the city.

The savoury-and-spicy taste of paella is credited to the Muslim influence in the country,says the economic and commercial counsellor for Spain,Teresa Solbes. “As of now,there’s no general image of Spanish food and it is often confused with Italian cuisine,” adds Solbes. The courtyard of the mall saw three huge pans of the seafood,chicken and vegetarian variations of the paella. “It is somewhat similar to the Indian biryani but is made only with olive oil,saffron and salt,” said Chef Guillermo Hidalgo from Madrid,who has been in the city for the past six months. Authentic paella will now be served at the Olive Bar and Restaurant,Qutub,for brunch every Sunday.

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