A paila () is a type of

cookware Cookware and bakeware is food preparation equipment, such as cooking pots, pans, baking sheets etc. used in kitchens. Cookware is used on a stove or range cooktop, while bakeware is used in an oven. Some utensils are considered both cookwar ...

that in several Spanish-speaking

South American South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a considerably smaller portion in the Northern Hemisphere. It can also be described as the southern Subregion#Americas, subregion o ...

countries refers to a large shallow metal pan or

earthenware Earthenware is glazed or unglazed Vitrification#Ceramics, nonvitreous pottery that has normally been fired below . Basic earthenware, often called terracotta, absorbs liquids such as water. However, earthenware can be made impervious to liquids ...

bowl A bowl is a typically round dish or container generally used for preparing, serving, storing, or consuming food. The interior of a bowl is characteristically shaped like a spherical cap, with the edges and the bottom, forming a seamless curve ...

which oftentimes is also used as a serving plate for the foods prepared in it. Dishes served in clay pailas are often prepared in the paila itself by way of baking in an oven. By extension, the word ''paila'' is also used for the dishes that are eaten from it, such as

paila marina ''Paila marina'' is a traditional Chilean seafood soup or light stew usually served in a paila (earthenware bowl). It usually contains a shellfish stock base cooked with different kinds of shellfish and Fish as food, fish. These are complemented ...

and paila de huevo. An advantage of the clay paila is that clay retains heat well and keeps foods warm. Its Valencian equivalent is the

paella Paella (, , , , ; ) is a rice dish originally from the Valencian Community. ''Paella'' is regarded as one of the community's identifying symbols. It is one of the best-known dishes in Spanish cuisine. The dish takes its name from the wide, sha ...

, which is simply referred to as ''arroz'' (

rice Rice is a cereal grain and in its Domestication, domesticated form is the staple food of over half of the world's population, particularly in Asia and Africa. Rice is the seed of the grass species ''Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice)—or, much l ...

) by the locals.

Etymology

''Paila'' derives from

Old French Old French (, , ; ) was the language spoken in most of the northern half of France approximately between the late 8th It is first attested in Spain in the 16th century, and both is diminutive (pailita) and aumentative (pailón) appeared at the time. Its cognates include modern French ''poêle'' and Catalan ''

''. Nowadays, the use of the term is widespread in Latin America but relatively rare in Spain, where the doublet ''padilla'' survives as ''paílla'' in Andalusia">Doublet (linguistics)">doublet ''padilla'' survives as ''paílla'' in Andalusia.

Regional varieties

In addition to being used to prepare the traditional pork fritada, the large shallow and heavy copper paila from Ecuador is also used throughout the country and in the department of Nariño in Colombia as an "ice pail." This is performed by placing the bowl on ice and adding ingredients such as fruit, which is stirred to form a variety of ice creams and

sorbet Sorbet (, ) is a frozen dessert made using ice combined with fruit juice, fruit purée, or other ingredients, such as wine, liqueur, or honey. Sorbet does not contain dairy products. Sherbet is similar to sorbet, but contains dairy. Etymolog ...

s. In

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in western South America. It is the southernmost country in the world and the closest to Antarctica, stretching along a narrow strip of land between the Andes, Andes Mountains and the Paci ...

and

Peru Peru, officially the Republic of Peru, is a country in western South America. It is bordered in the north by Ecuador and Colombia, in the east by Brazil, in the southeast by Bolivia, in the south by Chile, and in the south and west by the Pac ...

, clay pans are used to cook

cornbread Cornbread is a quick bread made with cornmeal, associated with the cuisine of the Southern United States, with origins in Native American cuisine. It is an example of batter bread. Dumplings and pancakes made with finely ground cornmeal are st ...

and other specialties such as pan or "pan marina." In

Bolivia Bolivia, officially the Plurinational State of Bolivia, is a landlocked country located in central South America. The country features diverse geography, including vast Amazonian plains, tropical lowlands, mountains, the Gran Chaco Province, w ...

, especially in the

Cochabamba Cochabamba (; ) is a city and municipality in central Bolivia in a valley in the Andes mountain range. It is the capital (political), capital of the Cochabamba Department and the list of cities in Bolivia, fourth largest city in Bolivia, with ...

region, paila is used to cook

chicharrón (, plural ; ; ; ) is a dish generally consisting of fried pork belly or fried pork rinds. may also be made from chicken, mutton, or beef. Name , as a dish with sauces, or as finger-food snacks, are popular in Andalusia and Canarias in ...

(pork cracklings).

Gallery

References

*Sendoya Ramírez, Pedro José (1952). "Dictionary of the Great Indian Tolima." Minerva Editorial LTDA. R498.6 R15d 19 ed. (Biblioteca Luis Angel Arango). Serving and dining Kitchenware Chilean pottery Chilean cuisine Peruvian pottery {{Expand Spanish, topic=culture, date=March 2009, Paila