One of my favorite foods (even before I visited Barcelona in 2017 and experienced the authentic version) is Seafood Paella. What is Paella (pie-yay-ya; the L’s are silent)? Paella is a Spanish rice dish made in one frying pan, originating from Valencia, on the eastern coast of Spain. It began as a peasant/laborer’s dish that is now popular all over Spain. It is rumored that paella actually comes from the Arabic root word “baqiya” meaning leftovers. However, linguists actually credit the name paella to the frying pan in which the dish is made, known in Spanish as la paella.