Fideuà (dialectal pronunciation of the
Valencian Valencian can refer to:
* Something related to the Valencian Community ( Valencian Country) in Spain
* Something related to the city of Valencia
* Something related to the province of Valencia in Spain
* Something related to the old Kingdom of ...
word ''fideuada'' "large amount of noodles" from Hisp. Ar. ''fidáwš''
) is a seafood dish originally from the coast of
Valencia
Valencia ( , ), formally València (), is the capital of the Province of Valencia, province and Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Valencian Community, the same name in Spain. It is located on the banks of the Turia (r ...
that is similar to
paella
Paella (, , , , ; ) is a rice dish originally from the Valencian Community. ''Paella'' is regarded as one of the community's identifying symbols. It is one of the best-known dishes in Spanish cuisine.
The dish takes its name from the wide, sha ...
, and even more so to
arròs a banda, but with pasta noodles instead of rice. Its main ingredients are pasta noodles (often hollow), fish (
rockfish,
monkfish,
cuttlefish
Cuttlefish, or cuttles, are Marine (ocean), marine Mollusca, molluscs of the order (biology), suborder Sepiina. They belong to the class (biology), class Cephalopoda which also includes squid, octopuses, and nautiluses. Cuttlefish have a unique ...
,
squid
A squid (: squid) is a mollusc with an elongated soft body, large eyes, eight cephalopod limb, arms, and two tentacles in the orders Myopsida, Oegopsida, and Bathyteuthida (though many other molluscs within the broader Neocoleoidea are also ...
), and shellfish (''
Squilla mantis'', shrimp, crayfish). It is seasoned mainly with lemon.
History
The invention of fideuà is attributed to a picturesque story. Gabriel Rodríguez Pastor, (''Gabrielo'' from a kiosk in the port district of Grau in
Gandia
Gandia (, ) is a city and Municipalities of Spain, municipality in the Valencian Community, eastern Spain on the Mediterranean. Gandia is located on the Costa de Valencia, south of Valencia, Spain, Valencia and north of Alicante. Vehicles can ...
), worked as a cook on a boat and Juan Bautista Pascual (''Zábalo''), was the youngest man on the boat and his assistant. According to Gabriel's family, the boat captain loved rice and the rest of sailors almost never received their full portion of
arròs a banda, the dish that the cook usually prepared. Trying to find a solution for the problem, the cook had the idea of using noodles instead of rice to see if the result was a little less appetizing for the captain.
The invention was liked, and fame of the dish spread to harbor restaurants such as the "Pastaora House", where they cooked the first "fideuades". The dish became distinctive and essential in the area.
Characteristics
Just like paella, it is cooked in a special wide and flat frying pan, called ''paella'' (the word for "frying pan" in Catalan language), although there are other traditional variants made in a casserole.
The pasta is sautéed in stock, rather than boiled.
Gandia
Gandia (, ) is a city and Municipalities of Spain, municipality in the Valencian Community, eastern Spain on the Mediterranean. Gandia is located on the Costa de Valencia, south of Valencia, Spain, Valencia and north of Alicante. Vehicles can ...
is the birthplace of fideuà, and in this city of
La Safor region, there is an annual competition where the best cooks try to prepare the best fideuà.
See also
*
List of noodle dishes
*
List of seafood dishes
*
Pancit choca
References
*
:es:Fideuà
Differences between Fideua and paella
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fideua
Valencian cuisine
Pasta dishes
Seafood dishes