The Cuban lobster enchilado paella and the traditional Valencian paella face off in the grand final of the World Paella Championship, a viral culinary contest created in the Canary Islands by influencer Special Six and Cuban chef Ariel Patai.
According to the reel published on Instagram on Monday, the influencers have already tasted both paellas, and now it is up to the social media users to decide which one will be the winner.
The tournament format is simple: users vote by leaving comments on posts on Instagram and TikTok, and the dish with the most support advances to the next round.
The final features Spain, which defends the original Valencian paella, against Cuba, which advocates for a version of lobster enchilado with saffron and Creole spices.
The numbers so far are clear: the comment "VOTE CUBA" has amassed 3,870 likes compared to 587 for "VOTE SPAIN", a resounding advantage for the Cuban proposal among the audience following the contest on Instagram.
Chef Ariel Patai explained his choice of dish with a statement that blends respect and ambition: "With congri, we could have also won, but out of respect for the paella we are facing, which is from Valencia, I decided to make it as fair as possible."
Patai described his proposal as an "infusion of saffron, with Cuban lobster enchilado, incorporating all its spices and characteristics, to stand out in flavor and quality."
The traditional Valencian paella is made with chicken and rabbit meat, classic green beans, broad beans, saffron, and olive oil.
During the tasting in the video, Special Six acknowledged the quality of both proposals, although they leaned towards the Spanish recipe.
"The Cuban paella is very good, and I could perfectly enjoy it; it has a flavor very much in line with what a paella should be. However, and this time I speak from my heart and with honesty, the Valencian paella is more appealing."
The contest includes a personal wager between its two creators.
"If Spain is able to win this World Paella Championship through the votes in the comments, the Cuban chef Ariel will dress for a day in the complete outfit of the Spain national football team, and if I lose, I will carry the flag of Cuba during my walk back to the island of Fuerteventura," announced Special Six.
The tournament reached this final after several rounds. Cuba defeated Canarias in the round of 16 with a paella made of congrí rice accompanied by crispy pork cracklings, fried ripe plantains, and crunchy cassava, a proposal that was positively surprising. Spain, for its part, overcame Venezuela in the semifinals last Sunday.
Ariel Patai is a Cuban chef based in Fuerteventura, where he manages Patai Beach Club, a restaurant specializing in rice dishes that fuses Cuban culinary tradition with local Canarian ingredients. He is also one of the two creators of the competition and represents Cuba in every round.
The Cuban community in the diaspora has mobilized to support the local proposal. A comment on the final reel warned: "My people, we cannot be complacent because we are being swept away on TikTok; to win, we need to gather all the votes." Another user summed up the collective sentiment with a phrase: "Cuban flavor is unique."
Special Six concluded the video with a statement that encapsulates the spirit of the contest: "Whoever wins, Spain has already won because Cuba is also Spain."
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