Valencia celebrates its annual World Paella Day (WPD) on September 20. On this day, Valencia marks International Paella Day, a day to honor the most iconic dish in València’s gastronomy.
It also marks the celebration of the WPD Cup, a competition to award the best paella prize to one of 10 international chefs participating from around the world. Known for many cultural and culinary treasures, such as the holy grail, the City of Arts and Sciences, and traditions like the Fallas Festival and La Tomatina, Valencia holds the Paella as its most internationally beloved export to the world.
All participating chefs entered the competition by submitting a photo and short video including their professional background, which country they are representing and why they would like to participate. The best candidates passed to the final phase and their videos were uploaded on WPD’s official website – worldpaelladay.org. The public was asked to vote throughout June to determine the best among the favorite chefs. In the weeks running up to the World Paella Cup on September 20, the top chefs will participate in an immersion training experience in Valencia in preparation for the grand finale. Check out the Facebook Page for videos
“The paella is a work of art we are very proud of here in Valencia. It is the embodiment of what this city shares with the rest of the world which is our culture, our flavor, and our spirit of hospitality and enjoyment, says Maximo Caletrío, promotions manager for Canada and the U.S, Visit Valencia Foundation.
“We are excited to see who will achieve the top prizes in this year’s competition. I am sure they will serve as inspiration to many aspiring food entrepreneurs and renowned chefs who are pushing the boundaries of Valencia’s gastrotourism offering every day, helping the city further establish itself as Spain’s culinary capital.”
World Paella Day Stage, the ‘training’ that will lead to victory
As a novelty, this year, the finalist chefs will participate in the World Paella Day Stage València experience: three days of immersion in the culture of paella, with visits to the Huerta de València, the rice fields of the Albufera Natural Park, the Central Market, a paella factory and a Valencian winery, among others. This is the training phase ahead of the competition allowing the finalists to explore the birthplace of paella as well as attend a number of different workshops with some of the most prominent paella chefs and producers in the industry. Experts giving tips and guidance on how to create the perfect dish include Santos Ruiz from D.O Arroz de València, Toni Montoliu, owner and chef of Barraca de Toni Montoliu, Rafa Margós, the Bairetes’ chef and Chabe Soler, winner of the WPD Cup 2020.
Once this phase is complete, the finalists will face each other on 20 September to compete and cook the best paella. This event will take place in València’s Marina and will be live-streamed. Each participant will receive a personalized jacket and a finalist certificate with the winner taking home the WPD Cup trophy.
