View source for Fideuà

{{Short description|Seafood dish from Valencia, Spain}}
{{More citations needed|date=August 2022}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2022}}
{{Infobox prepared food
| name             = Fideuà
| image            = Fideua - xurde.jpg
| image_size       = 250px
| caption          = 
| alternate_name   = 
| country          = [[Spain]]
| region           = [[Valencia]]
| creator          = 
| course           = [[Pasta]]
| type             = 
| served           = 
| main_ingredient  = [[Long pasta]], white-fleshed fish, [[crustacean]]s
| variations       = 
| calories         = 
| other            = 
}}

'''Fideuà''' (dialectal pronunciation of the [[Catalan language|Valencian]] word ''fideuada'' "large amount of noodles" from Hisp. Ar. ''fidáwš''<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://dle.rae.es/fideo|title = Fideo &#124; Diccionario de la lengua española}}</ref>) is a seafood dish originally from the coast of [[Valencian community|Valencia]] that is similar to [[paella]], and even more so to [[arròs a banda]], but with pasta noodles instead of rice. Its main ingredients are pasta noodles (often hollow), fish ([[Madeira rockfish|rockfish]], [[Lophius|monkfish]], [[cuttlefish]], [[Squid as food|squid]]), and shellfish (''[[Squilla mantis]]'', shrimp, crayfish). It is seasoned mainly with lemon.

== History ==
The invention of fideuà is attributed to a picturesque story. Gabriel Rodríguez Pastor, (''Gabrielo'' from a kiosk in the port district of Grau in [[Gandia]]), worked as a cook on a boat and Juan Bautista Pascual (''Zábalo''), was the youngest man on the boat and his assistant. According to Gabriel's family, the boat captain loved rice and the rest of sailors almost never received their full portion of [[arròs a banda]], the dish that the cook usually prepared. Trying to find a solution for the problem, the cook had the idea of using noodles instead of rice to see if the result was a little less appetizing for the captain.

The invention was liked, and fame of the dish spread to harbor restaurants such as the "Pastaora House", where they cooked the first "fideuades". The dish became distinctive and essential in the area.

== Characteristics ==
Just like paella, it is cooked in a special wide and flat frying pan, called ''paella'' (the word for "frying pan" in Catalan language), although there are other traditional variants made in a casserole.

The pasta is sautéed in stock, rather than boiled. {{verification needed|date=February 2021}}

[[Gandia]] is the birthplace of fideuà, and in this city of [[La Safor]] region, there is an annual competition where the best cooks try to prepare the best fideuà.

==See also==
{{portal|Food}}
* [[List of noodle dishes]]
* [[List of seafood dishes]]
* [[Pancit choca]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}
* [[:es:Fideuà]]
* [https://makespain.com/differences-between-paella-and-fideua/ Differences between Fideua and paella]
{{Culture of Valencian Community}}
{{Pasta dishes}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fideua}}
[[Category:Valencian cuisine]]
[[Category:Pasta dishes]]
[[Category:Seafood dishes]]