You’d think Spanish police had enough on their plates tackling crime – but it appears they have put that aside to take Tesco to task over a ‘heretical’ paella sandwich.
The Guardia Civil force has accused the British supermarket giant of creating a health hazard by using its nation’s traditional rice dish as a sandwich filling.
To mark International Paella Day this week, officers tweeted a picture with the caption: ‘The “paella sandwich” for some is heresy, for others a violent attack on good taste and it could even threaten health. We are waiting for your formal complaints.’
The Guardia Civil force accused the British supermarket giant Tesco of creating a health hazard by using its nation’s traditional rice dish as a sandwich filling
One outraged Spaniard replied: ‘This is an insult and a lack of respect for a Spanish dish, for a community in Spain, for all Valencians.’
Another added: ‘These things only happen in England.’
In fact, the paella sandwich was created ten years ago as part of a newspaper stunt but it seems the Spanish have never forgotten the perceived attack.
Paella is a rice dish from the Valencia region of Spain, usually served with meats, seafood and vegetables.
And it’s not the first time the Spanish have rushed to defend their cuisine from anglicisation.
Paella is a rice dish from the Valencia region of Spain, usually served with meats, seafood and vegetables
In 2016, Jamie Oliver was given a roasting after the television chef included chorizo in a recipe for paella.
Responses from angry Spaniards at the time included: ‘Remove the chorizo. We don’t negotiate with terrorists’, and ‘Why don’t you make some chicken nuggets out of your own fingers?’