1.Paella Valenciana

How not to start with Spain's flagship dish? Indeed, paella is world-renowned and constitutes for many a family meal, composed of several ingredients. What can we say about traditional Paella Valenciana? It's made with chicken and rabbit meat, white beans, olive oil, saffron, rosemary, and obviously rice! In Valencia, people eat Paella particularly at lunchtime due to the long digestion. It's also a festive dish for many Valencian families.

2.Fideuà

You'll have noticed the resemblance between fideuà and Paella is striking, however these two dishes remain quite different. Fideuà is prepared in the same round pan as paella, but it's made with noodles instead of rice. It's a bit like a pasta paella actually! Very appreciated by children, the dish is obviously accompanied by seafood and fish such as prawns, langoustines, and monkfish, a white fish known for being both flavorful and aromatic.

3.Coca de tomate

If you're fond of pizzas, you'll love this dish. What we nickname 'the Spanish pie with peppers and tomatoes', and what we more commonly call coca de tomate, resembles a pizza with a tomato base. The dough is baked in the oven and fresh vegetables are added. This dish is mainly served as an appetizer and generally pleases everyone who tastes it. The thin crust gently crushes under your teeth, releasing the various still-warm ingredients... A delight!

4.Olla Valenciana

If you stay in Valencia during winter, you'll sooner or later taste Olla Valencia. This Valencian stew is a dish similar to a 'cassoulet'. To make this specialty, you need various meats such as blood sausage, chorizo, veal, chicken, and pork. You also need to add different vegetables like potatoes, celery, cardoon, and turnip. Containing a large number of varied ingredients, in your mouth, this meal is an explosion of flavors... And whoever can resist it hasn't been born yet!

5.All-i-pebre

If you travel to Valencia, you'd better have some notions in gastronomy. In the Valencian Community, All i pebre means 'Garlic and paprika'. Indeed, in the recipe, garlic and 'pimentón' are used. Pimentón is a sort of paprika or rather dried red pepper powder. You may not know it, but this powder is what gives chorizo its special color and smoky taste. The dish mainly contains potatoes, water, olive oil, pepper, and eel. Culinary finesse in all its splendor!

6.Buñuelos de Calabaza

Here's a rather original specialty: pumpkin fritters! These are very tender delicacies that have the particularity of making us discover a unique blend of aromas. This dessert is enjoyed particularly in autumn and during the days of Fallas. It's a festive sweet! Moreover, Valencia residents have the habit of dipping them in thick hot chocolate (a bit like churros), for even more flavor. Do the same, you'll only be amazed by so much sweetness!

7.Arròs amb fesol i naps

Let's not forget that rice is Spain's flagship ingredient. That's why we can find quite original dishes combining vegetables, broth, and rice. We're obviously talking about the legendary Arròs amb fesol i naps or 'rice with fennel and turnip', whose yellow color catches the eye and arouses curiosity. This dish is therefore made with rice cooked in a cauldron with a broth of white beans, turnips, and pork. Succulent, it's one of the meals most appreciated by visitors, who are happy to taste it after a long day visiting the city.

8.Cod Croquettes

In the city of Valencia, we never get tired of them! Cod croquettes make a superb appetizer for starting the aperitif. This specialty is also known as Mandonguilles de abadejo: these are small appetizers, perfect for spending a convivial moment with family or friends. Especially if accompanied by good homemade aioli, an absolutely exquisite Provençal sauce. With this, why not a small crispy fresh salad that will pair very well with the tender side of the croquettes?

9.Valencian Stew

Valencian stew is also called 'puchero' in the Valencia region. This dish is very common in this Spanish city and it can be enjoyed in several stages. Indeed, it contains first a soup, then tender meat, with chickpeas, and finally vegetables served as accompaniment. This meal is similar to the famous French pot-au-feu. With unique texture and flavor, it's a hearty, warm meal that's perfectly suited to lovers of good meat.

10.Esgarraet

Finally, let's talk about a specialty that comes straight from the Valencian terroir. Esgarraet is a salad composed of dried cod cut into strips garnished with peppers. Sometimes eggplant and black olives can be added. It's easy to find this starter in the city's restaurants, locals are crazy about this absolutely delicious little bit of food. It's one of the most authentic and simplest dishes to make in Valencia.