The fishermen of Alicante originated arròs a banda.
This Valencian rice dish began as practical coastal cooking. Alicante fishermen sold their most valuable fish and kept less marketable, bony leftovers to make a strong stock. Rice was then cooked in that broth, turning inexpensive ingredients into a filling meal.
The name means “rice on the side,” because the rice was traditionally served separately from the fish or stew prepared with the same stock. Alioli is a customary accompaniment, adding richness to the otherwise economical dish.
Arròs a banda is often confused with arròs del senyoret, another fish-stock rice dish. In the latter, seafood is peeled or cut into bite-sized pieces, while arròs a banda developed from the fishermen’s stock-based two-course preparation. The dish later spread along the Mediterranean coast, including parts of Murcia and Barcelona province, but its traditional origin is associated with Alicante.