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What to eat in Spain? Top 8 Spanish Grains

Last update: Wed Mar 12 2025
Top 8 Spanish Grains
TABLE OF CONTENTS

Best Spanish Grains Types

01

Rice

VALENCIAN COMMUNITY, Spain
4.3
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Bomba is a Spanish variety of rice characterized by a short grain. The rice has a high content of amylose and a pearly white color of the grain. What distinguishes Bomba from most of the other varieties is that it can absorb two or three times its volume in water.


It will not burst, but hold its structure when cooked, expanding in width rather than in length, forming round bombs in the process. Bomba takes a long time to mature, and it has been harvested since the 14th century. Nowadays, it's mostly grown in wetlands south of Valencia. 
02
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Arroz del Delta del Ebro is white or brown rice categorized as 'extra', of the Bahía, Tebre, Sénia, Fonsa, Bomba and Montsianell varieties The varieties range in their properties; from Senia, which is smooth and creamy when cooked, to Bomb, which is loose and firm.


It is grown in the wetlands covering the area of Ebro Delta, in the Province of Tarragona. All levels of production and the final product itself are strictly regulated. Arroz del Delta del Ebro is sold packaged with a numbered label that can be traced back to the producer and detailed area of cultivation ensuring the superior quality of this rice.

03

Rice

VALENCIAN COMMUNITY, Spain
3.9
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Arroz de Valencia is white or brown rice of the Senia, Bahia, Bomba, J. Sendra, Montsianell, Gleva, Sarçet, or Albufera variety. The varieties range in their properties; from the smooth and creamy Senia to the loose and firm Bomba.


It is grown in wetlands in Provinces of Alicante, Castellón, and Valencia in the autonomous community of Valencia. All levels of production and the final product itself are strictly regulated. Arroz de Valencia is sold packaged with a numbered label that can be traced back to the producer and the detailed area of cultivation, ensuring the superior quality of this rice.

VARIATIONS OF Arroz de Valencia
04

Rice

CALASPARRA, Spain
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Calasparra is one of best-known varieties of rice grown in Spain. It is cultivated without the use of pesticides or herbicides in the village of Calasparra, in the region of Murcia. It comes in two varieties, ordinary and Bomba, the difference being that the latter increases in size more while cooking.


This white, short grain rice variety has been grown in this area since the 14th century. Calasparra has some extraordinary culinary properties which make it an irreplaceable ingredient in one of the most famous Spanish dishes, paella. While being cooked, it absorbs more liquid than other varieties of rice due to its high amylose content. 
05

Rice

VALENCIAN COMMUNITY, Spain
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Arroz Bahia is a traditional rice variety originating from Valencia, the birthplace of paella. This type of rice is short-grained, it cooks quickly, and absorbs liquids without becoming sticky so that the grains remain separate, which makes it ideal for preparing paella.


The rice will remain firm during and after cooking. Arroz Bahia is slightly similar to arroz Bomba, but the Bahia is usually priced much lower than Bomba, and that’s the reason why Bahia, along with arroz Senia, is the most grown rice type in Spain.

06
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Arroz Albufera is a Spanish rice variety that’s grown in the Albufera Natural Park in Valencia. This new rice variety is a result of a natural selection of the Bomba, Sénia, and Bahía varieties. It’s characterized by a firm texture after cooking.


On the inside, the consistency remains creamy and juicy, and the rice grains keep their shape once they’ve been cooked, usually in Valencian paella. Albufera rice also absorbs much of the flavor of the liquid in which it’s been cooked.

07
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Arroz Cebolla is a Spanish rice variety that’s grown exclusively in the Sollana area, located in Albufera Natural Park in Valencia. This short-grain rice variety was developed with the aim to enhance the characteristics of the grains that will produce the perfect paella.


Cebolla rice is known for its ability to absorb and retain the flavors from the liquid in which it’s been cooked in, but also to keep the grains firm and separate after cooking.

08

Rice

VALENCIAN COMMUNITY, Spain
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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.

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Spanish Grains