Arroz de Valencia

Appearance & taste

There are 14 permitted varieties, including Senia, Bahía, Bomba, Albufera and Bombón. Their raw grains are on average 5.2 to 6 mm long and 1.7 to 1.9 times as long as they are wide; 99 % are opaque (“perlado”). Depending on the variety, the amylose content ranges from just over 16 % (Senia, Sarçet) to just under 26 % (Albufera). According to the specification, it gives the rice a balance between absorbing flavour and holding its shape when cooked; the uniform grain size means that the grains are all cooked at the same time.

For the white or wholegrain rice that is sold, the specification sets average values for defective grains, for example 2 % chalky and green or 0.5 % red grains; at least 92.7 % are without defects. It is only sold in packs with a numbered control label and the designation “Denominación de Origen ‘Arroz de Valencia’”, where applicable also in Valencian.

Production

All steps from sowing through harvesting and drying to processing take place in the area, as does packing. According to the specification, the heavy, firm and barely permeable soils allow wet cultivation with little water.

Over time the rice farmers developed their own methods. In the “eixugons”, the drainings, the fields are not irrigated for a few days around the end of June, once the rice has germinated, to prevent the growth of algae. During the winter fallow the fields are flooded; this interrupts the cycles of some soil organisms and promotes the decomposition of crop residues.

Origin & history

The area covers natural wetlands in the provinces of Valencia, Castellón and Alicante, above all around the nature reserves of La Albufera, Marjal de Pego-Oliva and Marjal de Almenara. The soils are calcareous, loamy, low in organic matter and alkaline. The Mediterranean climate is mild all year round, with little rain, falling mainly in autumn and spring. No cold winds blow during the day, and at night a sea breeze passes over the fields; in summer the west wind brings dry, warm air. In the 21,120 ha La Albufera nature reserve, 65 % of the area is rice fields.

According to the specification, rice was already grown in the Kingdom of Valencia before its conquest by James I in 1238; the “Llibre dels repartiments”, which divided up the conquered land, already mentions rice fields. In 1753 an ordinance of King Ferdinand VI set the boundaries of the rice-growing area. Valencian cuisine is closely linked to rice, with paella, rice stews and oven-baked rice dishes.