Paella given official cultural recognition – what this recent status means for the enduring dish

Paella – the iconic Valencian rice dish made with fish, meat or vegetables – has been officially recognised for its cultural importance. In October, the local government within the Valencia region of Spain declared paella an Asset of Intangible Cultural Interest.

The decree of recognition acknowledges the tradition and cultural significance of the preparation and tasting of paella, describing the dish as representative of “the art of joining and sharing”. It establishes a series of safeguarding measuresincluding the identification, description, study and documentation of paella in order that its recipe may be passed on to future generations.

Curiously enough, the decree explains that different ingredients may be used for the making of paella, acknowledging that there are several versions of the recipe and methods of preparation. The decree mentions rice because the mandatory ingredient to properly make the dish, and offers recommendations on the way it ought to be added and cooked.

The recognition follows the request of the Valencia City Council presented back in April and backed by local politicians. It was intended to guard paella’s wealthy history and tradition, after a few years of variations on the recipe and controversies over its preparation.

The inclusion of chorizo sausage in paella is one such controversial variation, as was UK supermarket Tesco’s limited edition paella sandwich.

The origin of paella, first a food for farmers and peasants, dates back a whole lot of years. An 18th-century manuscript refers to paella or “Valencian rice”, explaining techniques for making this dish and clarifying that the rice has to find yourself dry. Paella acquired international recognition at first of the twentieth century, especially because the Valencia region began to attract tourists.

Next steps

This recognition would be the first step of a broader process which could finally turn paella into an item of Unesco Intangible Heritage. Other musical, artistic and gastronomic cultural expressions have been protected under this scheme, including Flamenco musicthe Mediterranean weight-reduction plan and Neapolitan pizza.

This would take the popularity which has just been given within the Valencian region to a more global level. The endorsement of a prestigious organisation like Unesco (the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) could be necessary. The message that “authentic” paella is made in response to certain quality standards could be amplified internationally.

Heritage protection, each at local and international level, definitely strengthens the importance that an object or a practice has within the lifetime of a community. This status may be utilized by traditional producers as a powerful marketing tool to advertise food which is ready in response to certain approved standards.

But it doesn’t offer a monopoly over the usage of a recipe or a reputation, as a patent or registration as geographical indication (for instance, sparkling wine from the Champagne region of France) would do. Intangible heritage status doesn’t give local producers in Valencia exclusive rights over the strategy of cooking paella or the usage of the “paella” brand. This signifies that anyone wanting to provide and sell paella products can label them as such, even outside the Valencia region and Spain.

The intangible heritage status also doesn’t stop people trademarking the term “paella”. In the EU, the trademarks “Authentic Paella way recipe” or “Paella Rica authentic flavor” have been registered by corporations selling ready-made food products. These trademarks will live on even after paella has obtained cultural heritage status in Spain and internationally.

EU protection

What could give paella a stronger legal protection is the registration as EU traditional speciality guaranteed (TSG). Like recognition of cultural heritage, TSG registrations may be utilized by traditional paella makers (who follow the required standards) to higher market and communicate the cultural value of their products.

TSG status would give a further layer of (more substantive) protection, versus national and Unesco intangible heritage awards. Specifically, traditional paella makers would give you the chance to stop other people from misusing the paella name in a way which could confuse consumers.

One famous example of protected TSG is mozzarella cheese. Such protection signifies that mozzarella sold within the EU must be produced in response to a conventional recipe. Those who don’t follow these rules may be prevented from labelling their product as mozzarella.

To obtain a TSG registration, it’s mandatory to show usage of the product on the domestic marketplace for a period of at least 30 years (this arguably guarantees transmission between generations). Paella would clearly meet this requirement. Other Spanish products have been given TSG status, including Serrano ham and oil cakes from Castilleja de la Cuestaeach of which have benefited from this recognition.

Paella purists would also profit from this extra protection. But within the meantime they ought to be content with counting on the popularity as an intangible cultural asset – one step at a time.