Free Republic

Rice growers in Valencia are warning that your paella might be doomed before it hits the pan – not because of your cooking skills, but due to unclear labelling on imported rice sold as if it were local. EU trade rules and lax origin labels are fuelling claims of ‘fake’ paella rice, as Asian and South American imports increasingly find their way into Spanish supermarkets. Valencian rice farmers say EU trade rules are ruining paella Valencia, the birthplace of paella, is home to traditional short-grain rice varieties like bomba, prized for their unique cooking properties. But local farmers claim that...

Couple allegedly downloaded and dashedA Palo Alto culinary couple stands accused by a popular Bay Area restaurant group of paella piracy and a tapas two-step. Restaurant group Teleféric Barcelona claims in a trade-secrets lawsuit that a husband and wife it hired to help run its operations stole recipes and customer and client data so they could start a rival Spanish eatery called Macarena in Palo Alto. David Linares and Elisabet Reviriego are also accused in the lawsuit of using some of the purportedly purloined information to secure a deal to sell food at San Jose Sharks hockey games. Linares told...

Spanish comedian Juan Joya Borja, whose infectious laughter brought him global fame, has passed away aged 65. Better known by his nickname El Risitas, meaning Giggles, the comedian became known on the internet as "Spanish laughing guy". Following appearances on national television, Borja went viral in 2014 when people started dubbing subtitles over him laughing recounting a story.