Spanish Paella Day 2018: Three recipes you have to try right now

There's a lot to be thankful for to the Latin community, given their colorful, vibrant culture and love for music and celebrations. One of the things we're utterly thankful for is the paella dish, which originated in Valencia in Spain. According to The Latin Kitchen, the dish was traditionally made of toasted short grain white rice, cooked with savory chicken, mussels, shrimp, roasted red peppers, beans, saffron, and garlic.

In celebration of this much-loved basic recipe, people around the world are cooking up the dish for Spanish Paella Day 2018, which happens on March 27.

Time for some amazing recipes

In honor of the traditional Spanish paella, which by the way comes from the word "patella" meaning "pan," here are three amazing recipes that you can try at home.

1. The classic paella

To make the basic (or classic, whichever you want to call it) Spanish paella, you'll need the special rice such as bomba, which primarily is cultivated in the eastern parts of Spain or Calasparra, which is native to the Murcia region of the country.

This recipe from Huffington Post also requires two tablespoons of olive oil, a teaspoon of paprika, a gram of saffron, which can be substituted with turmeric, some high quality fish stock (675ml or less if you're using Calasparra rice), four small ripe tomatoes, and two medium-sized shallots or onions that are finely chopped. You'll also need to dice and chop one bell pepper, two medium sized chicken breasts, and a medium-sized squid. Also prepare four large raw peeled prawns with their tail still attached, six large mussels, and 40 grams of fine green beans, 30 grams of garden peas, one roasted sweet red pepper, and a lemon cut into wedges. For the complete instructions, head over to Huffington Post.

2. Shellfish and chorizo paella

This is an alternative to your classic Spanish paella, as it uses ingredients that are more accessible in the US. This recipe from the World Wine Guys requires chicken stock instead of fish stock, and a packet of Goya Sazón con Azafrán, half a cup of olive oil, large onions, some hot sauce, half a pound of chorizo, arborio rice (an Italian short-grain rice), red bell pepper, frozen peas, and some mussels. For the full instructions, check out The Latin Kitchen.

3. Vegetable paella

Gone vegetarian? Or simply want to cut down on carbs and meat? Here's a vegetable paella that is full of taste and nutrition. This meatless recipe from The Latin Kitchen features leeks and butternut squash, with basmati rice (from India) cooked with fat-free, reduced sodium chicken broth, and some white wine. Get the full instructions in The Latin Kitchen. This goes to show that no matter what type of eater you are, there's a paella out there for you!