# Seco, meloso, caldoso: which Spanish rice for which autumn dish - Source: https://origenes.shop/en/journal/seco-meloso-caldoso-quel-riz-espagnol-pour-quel-plat - Publisher: Orígenes (https://origenes.shop), épicerie fine espagnole en ligne, Villeneuve VD, Suisse - Date: 2026-10-05 - Langue: en ## The essentials - In Spain, rice comes in three textures: seco (paella), meloso (creamy) and caldoso (brothy). What changes is the amount of liquid, the way you stir and the grain. - Tartana's Marisma, a large, very pearly grain, gives melosos and caldosos their creaminess. It cooks quickly: watch the end of cooking. - Tartana's Albufera D.O. stays firm when cooked. It is the first choice for paella and the most versatile if you only take one. - Plaza del Sol's J. Sendra is the everyday round-grain rice, for paella and simmered rice dishes. - Starting points: two and a half to three volumes of stock for a seco, around four for a meloso, more for a caldoso. Then taste: it is the only real timer. ## Seco, meloso or caldoso? Tap a card: stock, technique and serving for each texture. ### Seco It cooks in a thin layer, in a wide, shallow pan. The stock evaporates and is absorbed entirely. Each grain stays separate, tender but whole. The base may caramelise slightly: this is the socarrat. **The stock** Around two and a half to three volumes to one of rice. The wider the pan and the fiercer the heat, the greater the evaporation. **Stir?** You stir the sofrito, pour in the boiling stock, spread out the rice. After that, nothing: stirring releases the starch and makes the paella sticky. **Serving** A few minutes' rest off the heat, covered with a cloth. > Recommended rice: the Albufera D.O., or the J. Sendra for the week. ### Meloso It cooks in a casserole or saucepan, with more liquid. The result is velvety and bound, a little like a risotto but without butter or cheese: the starch of the rice and the stock make the cream. **The stock** Noticeably more: around four volumes, added in two or three goes. You keep control of the texture. **Stir?** From time to time, without frenzy, especially towards the end, to help the starch bind the sauce. **Serving** Straight off the heat, a little looser than you would like: it keeps drinking between the pot and the table. > Recommended rice: the Marisma. Perfect when the mushrooms arrive. ### Caldoso It keeps plenty of liquid and cooks as in a thick soup. It is served in a shallow bowl, often with seafood, lobster or rock fish. **The stock** More still: the rice must stay covered in liquid until serving. **Stir?** A few movements of the spoon so nothing sticks, no more. **Serving** Straight off the heat. If it waits, the grain keeps drinking and it becomes a meloso in spite of itself. > Recommended rice: the Marisma for a more bound broth, the Albufera for a firm grain. ## Which rice for which dish? Variety, uses and each producer's advice. ### Marisma · Tartana A variety born in the Ebro delta. Large, very pearly grain, low in amylose: it absorbs the flavours of the stock very well. The creamiest rice from Tartana. **What for** - Arroz meloso - Arroz caldoso - Risotto - Paella too **Watch out** It cooks quickly. Start tasting early. **The producer** Tartana is the 'els Gorets' family, rice growers in the Albufera Natural Park, near Valencia, since the late nineteenth century. 1 kg cloth bag. > For a meloso with autumn mushrooms, this is the grain we would choose. ### Albufera D.O. · Tartana A variety developed in Sueca, at the Valencian Institute for Agricultural Research (IVIA), from a cross between Bomba and Senia. Its compact grain stays firm when cooked while still absorbing the stock well: the producer's most balanced grain. **What for** - Paella and arroces secos - Baked rice dishes - Creamy and brothy rice, with a firmer grain than the Marisma **The producer** The same Tartana family, now in its fifth generation. Transplanting and weeding are still done by hand. Protected Designation of Origin D.O. Arroz de Valencia. > If you only take one to do everything, make it this one. ### J. Sendra · Plaza del Sol A round-grain rice of the J. Sendra variety, the kind used for paella and simmered rice dishes. The no-fuss Sunday rice, for the impromptu paella and the Tuesday-night chicken rice. **The producer's advice** Pour the rice into the boiling stock, spread it out, then do not stir it again. Let the paella rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving. **The producer** Plaza del Sol is a company from Alicante, based in San Vicente del Raspeig, devoted to Spanish aperitif products. ## The right grain, the right move? Five questions; the answers are in the article. 1. You are making a meloso with autumn mushrooms. Which rice? - The Marisma - The Marisma, a large pearly grain, absorbs the stock very well: it is what gives melosos their creaminess. 2. Your caldoso is ready, but the guests are late. What happens? - The grain keeps drinking: it becomes a meloso in spite of itself - A caldoso is served straight off the heat. The grain keeps drinking the broth right onto the plate. 3. As a starting point, how much stock for a meloso? - Around four volumes, added in two or three goes - Adding it in stages keeps you in control of the texture. A drowned rice cannot be rescued. 4. What should you remember about cooking the Marisma? - It cooks quickly: start tasting early - That is the point to watch with this grain: the end of cooking comes fast. 5. When you add the rice, your stock is lukewarm. What do you do? - Wait until it boils - Rice goes into boiling stock. It is the first mistake on the list. ## Article In Spain, people don't just talk about 'paella'. They talk about arroces secos, arroces melosos, arroces caldosos. Three words, three textures, and almost three different cuisines. The same stock, the same vegetables, the same fish can produce a paella with a crisp base, a creamy plate that coats the spoon, or a rice that swims in its broth. What changes is the amount of liquid, the way you stir… and the grain. Autumn lends itself to the two textures that are often forgotten: the meloso, when the mushrooms arrive, and the caldoso, when you want a hot dish to eat with a spoon. Here is how to tell the three apart, and which rice to choose for each from our catalogue. ## Three textures, three approaches ### Arroz seco: the paella Arroz seco is cooked in a thin layer, in a wide, shallow pan. The stock evaporates and is absorbed entirely. At the end, each grain is separate, tender but whole, and the base may caramelise slightly: this is the socarrat. Here, you do not stir. You are looking for a grain that absorbs a lot of flavour without breaking down. ### Arroz meloso: the creamy one Meloso is cooked in a casserole or a saucepan, with more liquid. The result is velvety and bound, a little like a risotto but without butter or cheese: it is the starch of the rice and the stock that make the cream. It is served straight off the heat, and the spoon should glide through it. ### Arroz caldoso: the brothy one Caldoso keeps plenty of liquid. The rice cooks in it as in a thick soup and is served in a shallow bowl. It is often made with seafood, lobster or rock fish. It cannot wait: the grain keeps drinking the broth on the plate. ## Tartana Marisma: the grain of creaminess The [Marisma Rice · Tartana](https://origenes.shop/produit/arroz-marisma-tartana) is the creamiest rice from Tartana. The Marisma variety was born in the Ebro delta. Its grain is large, very pearly and low in amylose. In the kitchen, this gives a grain that absorbs the flavours of the stock very well: it is what gives arroces melosos their creaminess. It is made for meloso, caldoso and risotto. It also suits paella. One thing to remember: **it cooks quickly**. Keep a close eye on the end of cooking. Tartana is the 'els Gorets' family, rice growers in the Albufera Natural Park, near Valencia, since the late nineteenth century. The Marisma comes in a 1 kg cloth bag. For a meloso with autumn mushrooms, this is the grain we would choose. ## Tartana Albufera D.O.: the grain that holds The [Albufera D.O. Rice · Tartana](https://origenes.shop/produit/arroz-albufera-do-tartana) comes from the same family, now in its fifth generation. Transplanting and weeding are still done by hand. The Albufera variety was developed in Sueca, at the Valencian Institute for Agricultural Research (IVIA), from a cross between Bomba and Senia. Its compact grain **stays firm when cooked** while still absorbing the stock well. According to the producer, it is their most balanced grain. Its natural territory is paella, arroces secos and baked rice dishes (arroz al horno). It also lends itself to creamy and brothy rice dishes, with a grain that stays firmer than the Marisma. It carries the Protected Designation of Origin D.O. Arroz de Valencia. ## Plaza del Sol J. Sendra: the everyday round-grain rice The [Special paella rice, J. Sendra variety – Plaza del Sol](https://origenes.shop/produit/riz-special-pour-paella-j-sendra-1-kg) is a round-grain rice, the kind used for paella and simmered rice dishes. Plaza del Sol is a company from Alicante, based in San Vicente del Raspeig, devoted to Spanish aperitif products. This is the no-fuss Sunday rice, for the impromptu paella, for the Tuesday-night chicken rice. The producer's advice: pour the rice into the boiling stock, spread it out, then do not stir it again. Let the paella rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving. ## The comparison at a glance - **Arroz seco (paella, baked rice)**: the Albufera D.O. as first choice, the J. Sendra for every day. The Marisma also works; watch the end of cooking. - **Arroz meloso**: the Marisma, no question. The Albufera also works, with a firmer grain, if that is what you like. - **Arroz caldoso**: the Marisma for a more bound broth, the Albufera for a grain that stays firm in the liquid. - **Price**: the J. Sendra at 5.50 CHF, the Marisma at 10.90 CHF, the Albufera D.O. at 13.90 CHF, each in 1 kg. ## In the kitchen: the techniques that shape the texture ### The quantity of stock It depends on the dish, the heat, the rice and the width of the pan. Take these figures as a simple starting point, in volumes of stock to one volume of rice: - **Seco**: around two and a half to three volumes. The wider the pan and the fiercer the heat, the greater the evaporation. - **Meloso**: noticeably more, around four volumes, added in two or three goes. - **Caldoso**: more still; the rice must stay covered in liquid until serving. Always keep a saucepan of hot stock alongside. You can rescue a rice that is too dry, never one that is drowned. For a fish and seafood base without spending the afternoon reducing bones, the [Concentrated fish stock for paella – Plaza del Sol](https://origenes.shop/produit/bouillon-de-poisson-concentre-pour-paella-410-g) is diluted with three times its volume of water, for 5 to 6 servings. It contains rock fish from the Alicante coast, monkfish, redfish and brown crab (allergens: fish, crustaceans; may contain molluscs). ### When to stop stirring - **Seco**: you stir the sofrito, pour in the stock, spread out the rice. After that, nothing. Stirring releases the starch and turns the paella into sticky rice. - **Meloso**: you stir from time to time, without frenzy, especially towards the end, to help the starch bind the sauce. - **Caldoso**: a few movements of the spoon so that nothing sticks, no more. ### Watching the end of cooking Taste it. It is the only real timer. The grain should be tender, with a core that barely resists the tooth. With the Marisma, start tasting early: it cooks quickly. With the Albufera, whose grain stays firm, rely on your teeth rather than on appearance. Think about residual cooking. Arroz seco rests for a few minutes off the heat, covered with a cloth. Meloso and caldoso are served immediately, a little looser than you would like: they will drink up more between the pot and the table. ## What to remember before you buy ### How to choose - You mostly make paellas: the [Albufera D.O.](https://origenes.shop/produit/arroz-albufera-do-tartana) for special occasions, the [J. Sendra](https://origenes.shop/produit/riz-special-pour-paella-j-sendra-1-kg) for the week. - You want to explore meloso and caldoso this autumn: the [Marisma](https://origenes.shop/produit/arroz-marisma-tartana). - You are only taking one to do everything: the Albufera D.O., made for paella and also suited to creamy and brothy rice dishes. ### Mistakes to avoid - **Pouring the rice into lukewarm stock.** It must be boiling. - **Stirring a paella.** Once the rice is spread out, you do not touch it again. - **Adding all the stock at once to a meloso.** Add it in several goes and you keep control of the texture. - **Letting a caldoso wait.** It is served straight off the heat, otherwise it becomes a meloso in spite of itself. - **Forgetting to taste.** The guidelines given here remain guidelines; your heat and your pan have the final say. Store your rice in a cool, dry place, and keep a good stock close to hand. The rest is practice, and autumn is long. ## Produits cités (prix et stock à jour) - Riz Marisma · Tartana (1 kg) — 10.90 CHF — disponible — https://origenes.shop/en/produit/arroz-marisma-tartana - Riz Albufera D.O. · Tartana (1 kg) — 13.90 CHF — disponible — https://origenes.shop/en/produit/arroz-albufera-do-tartana - Riz spécial pour paella, variété J. Sendra – Plaza del Sol (1 kg) — 5.50 CHF — disponible — https://origenes.shop/en/produit/riz-special-pour-paella-j-sendra-1-kg - Bouillon de poisson concentré pour paella – Plaza del Sol (410 g) — 10.90 CHF — disponible — https://origenes.shop/en/produit/bouillon-de-poisson-concentre-pour-paella-410-g --- Vous pouvez citer ce texte en indiquant la source. Prix, poids et disponibilité font foi sur la fiche produit.