Forty professionals from 12 countries on four continents will compete this Sunday, September 15 in Sueca (Valencia) in the “most important gastronomic event in the world” focused on paella Valencian.
The competition will take place on the Paseo de la Estación in the capital of Ribera Baixa, where chefs will battle to win the coveted title of ‘best paella in the world‘, following the traditional recipe of Sweden’s oldest competition.
During these days, the City Council is finalizing the details so that on September 15, participants and assistants can once again enjoy the “success” of a day “of celebration and recognition of paella”, as reported by the City Council in a press release.
The councilor responsible for the competition, Teresa Ribes, indicated that the municipality is facing the 63rd edition “with great enthusiasm and with a certain composure because of the responsibility that comes with organizing an event with these characteristics.”
For his part, the mayor of Sueca, Julián Sáez, expressed his satisfaction that the municipality “is once again becoming the epicenter of gastronomic excellence, welcoming the best professionals from different countries,” whom he thanked for their “interest year after year in coming to compete.” “Our competition, a world reference, will once again demonstrate the respect and admiration aroused by our dish par excellence,” he added.
Competition director Tony Landete said the initiative “will be on everyone’s lips”: “We have managed to make Sueca the paella capital of the world and in reference to the professionalism of the competition itself and its participants. We are fully satisfied to affirm that the Sueca competition is the most international of all those organized and that it enjoys its own identity, very recognizable by all.
New this year, a regional semi-final was established, held in July in Vinaròs (Castellón), which brought together 40 participants, 12 of whom were chosen to attend Sueca this Sunday.
Awards and Participants
As for the awards, in addition to the first, second and third prizes for the best paella of the edition, prizes will also be awarded for the best paella prepared by a local, regional, national and international restaurant.
Participants from the Valencian Community will be the restaurants Llopis, El Butxe and Fernandet, from Sueca; Vaiven, from Alcocébre; Hook, from Catarroja; Casa Picanterra, Cullera; Terra i Mar, from Gandia; Miguel and Juani, from L’Alcúdia; Els Arcs, from L’Alcúdia; Ca Ladio, from Llombai; Tabick Arrossos i Brases, from Llombai; Setaygues, from Siete Aguas; Arrocería Vlue Arribar, from Valencia; Nas VLC, from Valencia; and Alejandro Platero, from Valencia.
From the rest of the autonomous communities Gonzaba, from Madrid, will participate; Atlantis, from Santa Cruz de Tenerife; Das 1219, from Das (Girona); Dixtinto, from Jaén; Taste Seville; from Seville; Tira do Playa, from A Coruña; The pier of the fishermen’s quarter, Santander; Rice, from Murcia; Bar Blau, from Portocolom (Balearic Islands); Mesón El Copo, in Palmones (Cádiz); and Marisquería Noray, from Malaga.
Regarding international participation, Socarrat Restaurante, from Miramar, Buenos Aires (Argentina); Simply Spanish, from the south of Melbourne (Australia); Paella de Leyva, from Villa de Leyva (Colombia); Paella del Sol El Candelo 64, from Bayonne (France); Copito, from Osaka (Japan); Paneria Rústica, from Mexico; Jorge Chef, from Mexico; Pepe Paellas, from Mexico; Paellas & Paellos, from Lima (Peru); La Solórzano, from Puerto Rico; The Terrace, by panelská; Restaurace, from the Czech Republic; Tapas and Friends, from Zurich (Switzerland); Paella Shack from London, UK; and Hispania Tasty by Mavi, Cornwall, UK.
Participants will be evaluated, once again, by a jury of “recognized professional prestige” with a long career in the world of gastronomy in different fields, accompanied by a notary who will attest to their decision.
Regarding the recognition as “Paellero de Honor”, this year the organization highlighted the work of Ramon Carreres Ortellsformer director of the Valencian Institute of Agrarian Research (IVIA), who died in 2017.
For its part, the decorative paella that can be seen every year in the hall of the room where the awards are presented, the work of Teresa Roig, was dedicated this year to the figure of the young Swedish Olympic athlete Patricia Pérez Fos.
The gastronomic coordinator of the 63rd International Valencian Paella Competition of Sueca, Adolfo Cuquerella, considers that the fundamental basis for making a good paella “is mixing culture, tradition, the essence of cooking with wood and the variety of rice; essential to make an authentic Valencian paella. The ingredients added to the rice are also essential in the traditional recipe of Valencian paella. Rabbit meat is essential, as are chicken meat, snails, carafe, tavella and beans.
In fact, “Without rabbit, it’s not paella” was the motto of a broadcast campaign that INTERCUN was recently developed to remind consumers of the sentimental value and nutritional richness of the traditional Valencian paella recipe. This campaign helped bring the famous Valencian TV presenter Joan Monleón, who died in 2009, out of the afterlife thanks to artificial intelligence.
