Paella

Perhaps Spain’s most famous food, for foreigners paella is a dish that can be customised and fiddled around with, but not so for Spaniards. British chef Jamie Oliver discovered to his surprise just how passionate Spaniards are about getting paella right when he dared to add an ingredient that never, ever appears in an authentic Spanish version: chorizo. The act of adding this simple ingredient hit the headlines in Spain for its sheer audacity. Another common misconception about paella is that it’s an evening meal – most Spaniards eat it at lunchtime to give them time to digest the heavy dish.