"bomba rice is the crème de la crème, the pinnacle of paella making...hard to find even in spain, it'll improve any of your spanish rice dishes the first time you use it
Although it's been around for centuries, Bomba rice is almost unknown outside of Spain. Nearly everyone in Spain has switched to the now-standard Balilla because Bomba is so hard to grow. Even under ideal conditions, Bomba yields are far lower; the plants grow too tall making them much more susceptible to wind and weather-related damage. I'm sure its struggle to survive each summer adds to Bomba's inherently high flavor. Inside Spain, Bomba is far from being a household word; even those who've heard of it aren't likely to use it often and you'll almost never find it in use in commercial kitchens. Even those who grow Bomba rice usually dedicate only a small section of their land to it, reserving the rest for sturdier, better yielding varieties. But bomba is definitely better—you really can taste the difference. Why? Because Bomba can soak up very large quantities of liquid while remaining very firm-grained during cooking. It could take up two to three times the level of liquid you'd use for standard Spanish rice. In case you don't have your calculator handy, that could be about as much as five to six parts liquid to dry rice. But again, each batch of rice is different and cooking conditions can vary considerably so it's better to start with less liquid and add more as you go than to overcook the rice. Still this means that all else being equal, Bomba rice will be two or three times more flavorful when it's finished cooking than standard Spanish fare would be. It's also a high-integrity grain—even after it's absorbed all that liquid, Bomba is still firmer and more distinct than any other Spanish variety out there. La Bomba may be many times as expensive as other paella rices you'll find. But, if you're looking to prepare an amazing paella, splurge and get the good stuff. If you do nothing but buy Bomba rice (and then bump the input of broth up to the appropriate level), you will immediately improve the flavor of the finished dish."
I'm a great believer in "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" and my paella recipe works perfectly well already but I just can't give up an opportunity to improve it, if improved it can be and it seems that from the above it can. Again, it's a bad time (a dinner party) to risk changes in the Kitchen but Larisa really appreciates a good paella and if I can make it better I certainly want to for her. I'll have to get more stock to hand as that seems to be the big difference with this rice - the amount required. Now I'm really getting excited.
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