For a long time, risotto has been the go-to fancy western rice dish for homes and restaurants here in Hong Kong. But with the expanding food trends, we have seen Spanish cuisine gaining popularity in the dining scene of Hong Kong and the Spanish Seafood Paella has now taken its stage, side by side with the Italian’s risottos.

“Paella rice” and “Risotto rice” are both a category of rice (not a variety <品種> of rice). They are both short grain rice, as opposed to the long grain rice that we are used to in Asian cuisines.

So what is the difference between these 2 types of rice?

Risotto rice is an Italian rice that gives you a creamy and soft chewy texture because of its high starch content. This short grain rice releases most of the starch quite readily while you patiently stand over the stove and stir the rice for a good 15 – 18 minutes. This is what gives risotto dishes their creaminess (no cream is needed in traditional risottos). Risotto rice absorbs 2 cups of liquid to 1 cup of rice.

Paella rice, grown in Spain, although still a starchy short grain rice, it holds onto its starch more and thus does not give a creamy texture to the dish. Each grain of rice stays quite separated and even after they are cooked, Paella rice gives a more al dente texture. This is because the core of the grain remains relatively firm even after cooking. Paella rice also absorbs more liquid than risotto rice, usually 3:1 ratio. Therefore, if you use a risotto rice in your paella, you will definitely need to adjust the amount of liquid the recipe calls for and also be prepared to get a creamier Paella as to a drier one.

If you can only find risotto rice in the supermarket, it is okay to use it to make Paella. A trick, aside from adjust the amount of liquid, is to not stir the rice often (as this release a lot of the starch from risotto rice). Although when it comes to ingredients, I try my best to find what the dishes call for and not to make any substitutions unless necessary.