Discover Fideua, a Tasty Alternative to Paella
Fideua is a traditional Spanish pasta dish that has gained popularity among both Spanish cuisine enthusiasts and Paella Marisol fans. Beyond its delicious seafood flavors, fideua deserves to be known for its fascinating origins. Let’s embark on a journey together to discover this lesser-known dish!
The history of fideua: from a fisherman’s meal to global gastronomy
Fideua originated in the 1930s in Gandia, a coastal town in the province of Valencia. According to legend, local fishermen used to prepare a dish with rice, seafood, and vegetables, which they enjoyed on the beach for Sunday lunch after returning from their fishing trips. Yes, you guessed it! It was what we now know as paella! This shared moment of celebration among friends and family on Sundays was a way for them to reward themselves after their hard work at sea.
One day, a cook on a fishing boat, who had already started preparing his paella, realized that he had run out of rice. So, he grabbed the first thing that came to his mind as a replacement: soup vermicelli (known as fideus). His pasta dish cooked in a paella-style, with the rich and complex flavors of squid, cuttlefish, and saffron, became a big hit among the fishermen. Quickly, the new recipe spread along the Valencian coast and eventually throughout Spain.
Today, fideua is appreciated worldwide and continuously reinvented by Spanish specialty restaurants. Some garnish it with chicken, others with mussels; some serve it with aioli sauce, others with just slices of lemon; some use wider and shorter pasta, while others opt for thinner and longer strands… Regardless, fideua remains a flavorful, festive, and unifying dish, just as it was originally.
Fideua at Paella Marisol
During a trip to Spain in October 2022, Marisol and Krolos challenged themselves to taste a wide range of products, including the best paellas in different restaurants, in order to bring the best of Spain back home. However, after 10 days of repetitive tastings, it was time to diversify their diet. They decided to try fideua, a meal that turned out to be a true revelation for them!
Back in Quebec, Marisol and Krolos got to work. After several experiments in the kitchen, they finally had their culinary creation tested by others. The feedback was extremely positive! In May 2023, that’s when the fideua made its debut in the Paella Marisol selection with the release of the 1-2-3 Olé line.