The paella of Thursday

If the Spaniards agree to recognize the paella paella Valencians, they are rarely on its list of ingredients that compose it …
But that’s not all, there is another point on which they do not agree.
Thursday Paella: a 100% Iberian tradition …

Why do restaurants often serve Paella on Thursdays?

First of all, I mention that we are talking about Spanish restaurants, especially Madrid or Barcelona. If the Thursday Paella remains a custom in the capital & the big cities, its origin is still a source of infinite discussions …
On Google one does not fall less than on more than 1,000,000 results, with « Paella del Jueves ».
There are several theories, almost as much as restaurant …
And everyone is going to his version, convinced to have the authentic answer …

Some people point out that Thursday was traditionally the day of rest for housewives. They prepared so the day before the bottom sauce, and the different ingredients, so that Thursday, the hostess, have more than warm up & arrange the rice for his family.

Always starting from this idea, the families having no help at home that day, took advantage of it to go out to the restaurant, and these would be adapted by adding to their menu this family dish, festive and which pleases to all.

Monday was the first fishing day of the week. The surrounding villages were served first, and then little by little towns inland, to Madrid or fish arrived on Thursday and where we took the opportunity to make a paella with seafood with newly arrived fish.

One theory is that Friday was race day just before WE. And the restaurateur, took the opportunity on Thursday, to make a Paella with all that was left unsold of the beginning of the week, vegetables, fish and meat …

Another said it was the favorite dish of dictator Franco. In the 60s, he loved to go out on Thursday in the capital, and the restaurateurs of Madrid all had a Paella on the menu that day.

You have another hypothesis?
Leave it on the forum 🙂