Senia Rice (Arroz Senia)

Arroz Senia is a traditional rice variety originating from Valencia, the birthplace of paella. This type of rice has medium-sized grains and absorbs the liquid in which it is cooked without becoming sticky. The rice is grown in the provinces of Alicante, Castellon, and Valencia, in some areas that border the Albufera wetland, and on both sides of the Jucar River.

Senia is harvested from early September to early October, and it’s then sun-dried, cleaned, milled, and packaged to be sold. Along with arroz Bahia, arroz Senia is sometimes preferred over the more famous arroz Bomba when preparing Valencian paella because the prices of Bahia and Senia are much lower than those of Bomba.