I love when people take certain foods so seriously that a dish rises above just a recipe and becomes a sacramental meal, a ceremonial preparation that needs to be blessed by congregants and celebrated in a particular way. Such is the case with paella. On a recent trip to Valencia, Spain, I had a chance to experience the region’s iconic dish and learn exactly what one needs to do to make the traditional Valencian paella. Humble Origins Valencia is an autonomous community within Spain, comprised of three provinces—one of which is also named Valencia. Its capital is also Valencia, Spain’s third-largest city after Madrid and Barcelona. The region lies along the Mediterranean and as such enjoys hot, dry summers and mild winters. The city itself got its start as a Roman settlement in 138 B.C., and the area has a long affiliation with farming, including some rice production. When the …