and rice go into this massive pan

to make one of the biggest paellas in Spain.

But this paella is just half

of what Vicente Martínez and his team

are making for Quesa, Valencia's, Festival of the Reserve.

At the end of the day,

these paellas will feed more than 1,000 people,

all for free.

But the size of this paella

isn't the only thing that's special.

It also has a unique ingredient

that makes this paella distinctly Valencian.

So, what does it take to make paella in such big batches?

Narrator: This is known as the Festival of the Reserve.

On the morning of the festival,

Vicente and his crew offload and wheel

two 2.35-meter paella pans into the town square.

When the pans are secure, they get to cooking.

Narrator: Each paella is cooked with

8.5 liters of olive oil,

75 kilos of chicken,

and 30 kilos of rabbit.

Narrator: When the meat is done,

40 kilos of frozen green beans, butter beans,

and white beans are added into the mix,

along with 5 kilos of snails.

Narrator: Once everything is mixed together,

135 liters of water are added into the pan.

Narrator: After the water has been added,

60 kilos of a local medium-grain rice

called arroz redondo is tossed into the mix.

Cooking with wood means that the water and fire

need to be constantly monitored

so that the rice doesn't burn.

Narrator: In Spain, bomba, albufera, and redondo rice

are commonly used because they can absorb

more liquid and flavor than regular rice

without getting mushy.

Narrator: Paella pans often come in several diameters,

but the general shape is always wide, shallow,

and round with sloping edges.

This shape is important

because it helps the rice cook evenly in a single layer.

Narrator: And many Spaniards agree.

Narrator: While everyone enjoys paella,

the exact ingredients for what constitutes

a true paella is still hotly debated.

Narrator: While the festival is full of joy

and celebration today,

the origins of its birth are much darker.

In 1690, Quesa experienced

a devastating outbreak of the bubonic plague,

which left only a few members of a single family alive.

Resilient, the surviving family gave shelter and food

to anyone who moved back to Quesa.

Narrator: Paella is thought to have come

from farm workers in Valencia

who used shallow pans to cook rice over wood fires

and added in ingredients they could forage or hunt

to create a cheap but filling one-dish lunch.

Over time, the elites of Spain

started to enjoy paella for weekday lunches,

and it became more popular across the country.

And while paella is now recognized

as a traditionally Spanish dish,

it wouldn't be what it is today

without the introduction of rice

by the Moors in the 12th century.

Since then, paella has taken on

many iterations across Spain,

but the classic ingredients of rice, rabbit, snails,

and beans remain integral for making a Valencian paella.