蜜芽传媒

The government of Valencia has granted protected status to a dish much loved across Spain - Paella.

It's the nation's number one dish, and an icon of the Mediterranean diet, rich in flavour, culture and history, but despite this even Spaniards disagree over what can actually be classed as paella.

And according to this latest definition - from the area it first originated - it does not include seafood.

Spanish food writer and historian Maria Jose Sevilla welcomes the move.

"What they want is for people to understand that there's a recipe that should be protected... We've got to be fair as things do evolve and people use different terminology... but in Spain there's a very clear division, particularly in Valencia, between what we call a paella and a rice dish. For us, paella really hasn't got fish, definitely not shellfish - it has rabbit and chicken."

(Photo: A dish of paella... or is it? Credit: Getty Images)