How to make a paella for celiacs

There are all kinds of intolerances, from lactose, sucrose, and fructose intolerance to the one we are going to talk about today: gluten intolerance.

If we are gluten intolerant or know someone who is, we have surely discovered, by reading the fine print on products and ingredients, that this small protein is found in a surprising number of products.

As expected, when something that our body cannot tolerate is commonly found in a wide range of foods and products, it can make it difficult to enjoy a meal without the fear of consuming gluten, and for celiac rice lovers, this can happen with paella.

But don't worry, in today's entry, we are going to take a good look at the recipe to inform you on how to make paella for celiacs.

What does it mean to be Celiac?

Celiac people suffer from a chronic, multi-organ, and autoimmune process that mainly injures the intestine, in addition to potentially damaging other organs or body tissues.

This systemic disease occurs due to a permanent "intolerance," not an allergy, to gluten, a protein commonly found in wheat, rye, barley, and many other cereals.

This intolerance can lead to other diseases as well as certain symptoms when gluten is consumed, such as abdominal pain, gas, indigestion, constipation, diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting, among other symptoms.

How can I make a Valencian paella for celiacs?

Fortunately, making a Valencian paella for celiacs is surprisingly simple, as there are only 2 ingredients in it that may contain gluten: the coloring and the paprika.

The reason these products contain gluten usually has to do with some process in their manufacturing or storage (due to possible cross-contamination), which is why we must choose these ingredients wisely.

Similar to how we do with other products, what we have to do is look for similar products that do not contain gluten. There are multiple brands, such as Carmencita, that offer gluten-free paprika and coloring.

Also, keep in mind that this lack of gluten does not affect the flavor these products can provide, they are simply made in a slightly different way to eliminate gluten from their production.

Frequently Asked Questions and Tips

Watch the ingredients in your paella

Keeping this in mind, we already know that, in general, we need to mainly worry about the paprika and the coloring.

Even so, don't forget to check the ingredients included in other rice recipes, as there is always the possibility that they contain a product that may have gluten, such as certain cans of crushed tomatoes.

For this reason, we recommend:

Be careful with prepared broths

If you are using a prepared broth and not water to prepare the broth for your paella, remember to check the ingredients section, as some broths may include traces or ingredients with gluten.

Generally, this does not usually happen in meat or vegetable broths, but there is a possibility of finding ingredients or additives with gluten in fish fumets, so remember to look at the back of the jar.

We recommend finding a trusted brand and checking their ingredients, so we know the broth we use for our rice is the right one.

However, whenever we want to be 100% sure or simply if we are novice cooks, we can use a homemade broth or fumet recipe, this way, we know we have a gluten-free broth.

Use saffron instead of coloring

Our beloved "red gold" is a must in paella, and if you are celiac, even more so, since unlike coloring, saffron gives us that classic yellow color along with a classic aroma and flavor.

We recommend using saffron instead of coloring, this way, you can avoid the possibility of the latter containing gluten and enjoy all the benefits of saffron in your paella.

If you are not sure how to use it, don't worry, we leave you here a link on how to prepare a saffron infusion for your paellas.

Does rice have gluten?

This question is more than reasonable, after all, gluten is found in all kinds of cereals, but as the saying goes, "there's always an exception to the rule."

Rice does not have gluten, in fact, it is one of the few cereals that naturally lacks gluten, regardless of the variety of rice, so its consumption is completely safe if you are celiac. In short, enjoy paella without fear of gluten.

Remember to ask for the menu at restaurants

This question is more than reasonable, after all, gluten is found in all kinds of cereals, but as the saying goes, "there's always an exception to the rule."

Rice does not have gluten, in fact, it is one of the few cereals that naturally lacks gluten, regardless of the variety of rice, so its consumption is completely safe if you are celiac. In short, enjoy paella without fear of gluten.

Remember to ask for the menu at restaurants There is always the possibility that some ingredient or product used in a paella that we did not prepare ourselves may contain gluten.

If you go with your friends or family to a restaurant to enjoy good rice or paella, check the menu, if for some reason it does not indicate the allergens in each dish, discuss it with one of the waiters to ensure that the rice you are going to eat is suitable for celiacs.