The Louisiana rice dish suggested to be influenced by Valencian paella is jambalaya.
Jambalaya developed in Louisiana as a one-pot rice dish shaped by African, Spanish, French, Caribbean, and local influences. Paella is one part of that story: Spanish cooking contributed a model of combining rice, meat or seafood, vegetables, and seasonings in a single vessel. West African rice traditions and the Provençal French dish jambalaia are also frequently cited in accounts of its origins.
Jambalaya is not simply Louisiana paella. Its ingredients and methods vary by community and region. Creole or New Orleans-style jambalaya commonly includes tomatoes, while Cajun-style versions usually omit them and become brown as meat and vegetables caramelize in the pot. Chicken, andouille or other sausage, shrimp, crawfish, and other meats may appear.
A common mix-up is gumbo. Gumbo is generally a stew served over separately cooked rice; jambalaya cooks the rice together with the seasoned meat, vegetables, and stock. The dish was documented in print by 1878, and Gonzales was proclaimed the “Jambalaya Capital of the World” in 1968.