Matiz España Bomba Paella Rice from Spain (2.2 lbs.) Firm, Natural Spanish Grain | Round, Medium Short | Risotto and Arrow Negro | Gluten Free (1 bag)

This is the rice to use for paella. It's a very short grain rice, but not as gooey as Japanese short grain sushi rice. Since it's being imported from Spain, it's not cheap, but it is the genuine article. The cloth bag has one kilo of rice (2.2 lbs) so this has about 10 servings (figuring 100g or 1/2 cup of rice per person.)We had a lesson on making paella in Seville, and the part of the class that really amazed me was that the rivets on the paella pan are the measuring marks. To the rivets for the broth, then to the top of the rivets as you pour in the rice in a strip between the rivets. That gives you the proper amount of rice for the size of pan so you can get the crusty bottom in 18 minutes of cooking. Low-tech but brilliant. Paella pans in Spain are made to these measurements so that no matter what size pan you have (4 servings, 100 servings) you can simply pour on the broth and rice and get the correct proportions.And our chef told us, true paella doesn't have seafood. It's rabbit and or chicken, only. I don't think there are any Paella Police around, so if you put shrimp in the shell and some mussels on near the end of the cooking, no one will stop you. But I liked it well without any fish.This rice is essential, however, to the texture. Sadly, I can't think of a cheaper substitute. The chef said you can use Arborio rice, but it's larger and grittier, to my way of thinking. I'm not fond of Arborio rice or risotto, but I really like this rice and paella the "authentic" way.

Bomba Rice is the rice most highly recommended for paella and similar Spanish dishes due to its ability to absorb more water, and therefore more flavor, than most varieties while maintaining its grain structure. The grains don’t remain as distinct as long grain rice, but the outside of the grains doesn’t break down like Arborio rice either. This rice comes from the Albufera National Park in Valencia, Spain. Matiz Valenciano also offers a Paella Rice of the Bahia variety, also from Valencia. Bahia does not have quite the absorption capacity of Bomba rice, but both are short-grain rices suitable for many Spanish dishes.Matiz Valenciano packages both varieties in cloth sacks that are durable and breathable. Each 1 kilo (2.2. lb.) sack contains about 4.5 cups of dry rice. There is a recipe for seafood paella on the back. The Bomba rice has been excellent in my Arroz con Pollo, but there are a few, not quite as good but less expensive options: Bahia and Sollana (often called Calasparra) are Spanish short-grain rices that work well in paella. Calrose rice is a medium-grained American variety commonly found in supermarkets. I have not tried that one, but it is often recommended as a substitute if you can’t find or afford Spanish rice.

I am stocking up on this rice. It is so good and works very well

Used it to make a very large (36") Paella. Worked well

This makes good authentic paella. I’ve used it several times, along with Spanish chorizo.

My dinner guests and I can’t get enough of this! It’s used exclusively for paella in our house. Despite all the other delicious ingredients, paella is a rice dish and should be treated as such. I like using bomba because it’s durable and doesn’t need to be babysat too much to avoid it popping, and because it’s very absorbent. The liquid to rice ratio is at least 3:1 with this, so you can get even more delicious flavor into your paella! There are other good rices you can use, but using this will make your life a lot easier and your paella tastier and more authentic!Pro tip: mix your broth and saffron in a large sauce pan and warm it on the stove while you are building your paella. This more evenly distributed the delicious flavor of the saffron and can give you a little more bang for your buck with the most expensive element of your paella.

If you’re thinking about venturing into the world of authentic paellas, you need Bomba rice. It is super absorbent without losing its shape. One cup of rice can easily absorb three cups of fluid. The rice absorbs all the delicious flavors from the broth/sauce and is extremely flavorful. Thinking paella? Think Bomba!

I've made many a paella using what I THOUGHT was the correct rice...Valencia rice. It wasn't until educating myself completely about the origin and proper accoutrements used in making paella, that I became aware of Bomba rice. In the past, I just couldn't get the Valencia rice to cook completely, and as such my paella never tasted right. That all changed, however, when I used this rice. The very first paella I made with this rice was over-the-top delicious, and superb when compared to paellas we'd eaten in restaurants in Miami and Tampa. My kids and family members could not stop raving about how delicious my paella turned out. So, from now on I will be using Bomba rice exclusively in my paellas. If you are a paella aficionado, do not hesitate to purchase this rice. You will not regret doing so! :-)