Any Valencian knows that eating an authentic wood-fired Paella is synonymous with family, tradition and authenticity.
In 1989, Rafa Margós's father left agriculture to start a dream with his mother Ana, to take the original Paella recipe to any part of the world. A decision that would change their lives forever. He opened his workshop "Paellas Margós", which would later become Las Bairetas, and in 1995 he registered the first essay on conservation of paellas over wood at the CSIC.
In Las Bairetas every weekend, the Margós family dedicated themselves to cooking hundreds of paellas over wood in the largest known paellero. Ninety-seven square meters of Valencian essence. Of passion, roots and hospitality.
After a few years researching the preservation of wood-fired paella, the dream of Rafael Margós (father) was left aside due to the technological deficiencies of the time. The final qualities were not appropriate and the conservation and industrialization of the original flavor of the Paella was not possible with the means available in the nineties.
However, he was able to infect the whole family with his passion for wood-fired paella and make them part of a dream of making the original version of paella reach anywhere in the world. That recipe that he taught to all his children, the same one that his grandmother taught him 100 years ago when he was only 8 years old. There is the origin of El Paeller.
"Why could the taste of a good Paella only be enjoyed in Valencia?" his father said.His passion for Paella was transferred to all his children: Pablo, Marcos, Rodrigo and Rafa. But it was the restlessness and curiosity of our Mestre Paeller, which pushed him to get involved in innovative and challenging projects, following the same dream that his father had and becoming a benchmark for all his brothers.
After 25 years of R&D, the eldest son of the Margós family has made it possible. The most important thing about this research was to achieve safe conservation and to concentrate the best flavors of our land in a can, without adding anything that did not carry the original recipe that he learned from his father. That is, only natural and local products. And of course, respecting the preparation of the Paella with traditional combustion. Without firewood, it would not be possible to capture the essence of the Valencian people.
After 300,000 paellas made over firewood, Rafa marked a unique follow-up in the standardization of processes, which meant that all his Paellas had the same flavor, aroma and color. To achieve that his paellas are twins, he doses each ingredient in proportionate amounts and technifies the preparation to achieve the perfect finish. The most expensive thing was calculating the cooking times and times so that the texture and flavors respected the authentic.
The Ritual that celebrates life.
It was decided not to include rice to promote the culture of Paella. And it is that, in each Paella cooked in the Valencian Community there is an innate value that surrounds the environment. It is getting together with family and friends around the fire, to practice the art of living and sharing.
Rafa also wanted that, that each house could experience the true Paella Ritual. The one who had lived since his parents, moved by life's difficulties, decided to change course and follow their dreams. In the end, Rafa's dream is a commitment to defend what is authentic. A responsibility as a Valencian to show the authentic Paella over firewood. To remember his father and celebrate life.
