Grain
Short-grain rice
Also called bomba, calasparra, arborio-style paella rice
A stubby grain that drinks stock while the kernel stays separate — the rice of Spanish paella and, cooked differently, of risotto. This is not sushi rice, even though both look short in the bag.
Origin
Mediterranean types were selected for shallow-pan dishes; East Asia selected sticky steamed rice independently. Italian arborio and carnaroli come from the Po valley.
Flavour
Quiet and faintly nutty — more texture than perfume. Socarrat at the base should taste toasted, not acrid.
How to use it
Toast the grains in olive oil after the sofrito, then add hot stock in measured stages and leave a paella pan alone. Stirring paella like risotto rubs off starch and makes porridge; stirring risotto is the point, because you want that cream. Do not flood the pan — short-grain swells about three times and then stops. Salt the stock, not the dry rice, and taste late; reducing liquid concentrates salt. Finish risotto off the heat with cold butter and grated hard cheese so the emulsion holds.
Storage
Airtight, cool and dry, away from spices that perfume through the bag.
Recipes using it
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