Recently, due to a busy work schedule, I often need to grab dinner from supermarket deli sections. As someone with a soft spot for seafood paella, I decided to compare the offerings from several supermarkets and share my honest taste experience with you.
Mercadona’s Seafood Paella Performance
Mercadona’s seafood paella has always been my go-to choice, priced around €4.5 with a fairly generous portion size. The rice is cooked just right, not too mushy, and the seafood variety is quite good, typically including prawns, mussels, and some squid rings. The saffron flavor is quite noticeable, and while not as rich as homemade versions, it’s quite impressive for fast food. The only downside is that it can sometimes be a bit too salty.
Seafood Paella Comparison Across Three Supermarkets
| Supermarket Brand | Price | Seafood Types | Taste Rating |
|---|
| Mercadona | €4.5 | Prawns, mussels, squid | 7/10 |
| Carrefour | €3.8 | Prawns, mussels | 6/10 |
| El Corte Inglés | €5.2 | Prawns, mussels, scallops | 8/10 |
Carrefour Offers Good Value But Average Taste
Carrefour’s seafood paella is the cheapest option at about €3.8 per serving. But honestly, you can tell where that price difference shows up. The rice can sometimes be a bit hard, and the seafood freshness is just average. The prawns are usually quite small, and the mussel meat isn’t very plump. However, if you’re just looking to fill up and don’t mind checking out frozen seafood paella occasionally, it’s acceptable.
El Corte Inglés Offers the Best Quality
I originally thought department store deli food would be expensive and terrible, but El Corte Inglés’s seafood paella really impressed me. While it’s indeed the most expensive of the three at €5.2 per serving, the seafood quality is noticeably better. The scallops are fresh, the prawns are larger, and the rice texture is just right. If your budget allows and you know about seafood paella ingredient selection, this is definitely the best choice.
If you’re like me and often need to grab dinner from supermarkets, I recommend choosing Mercadona for regular meals and treating yourself to El Corte Inglés occasionally. As for Carrefour, unless you’re really on a tight budget, I wouldn’t particularly recommend it. For those interested in seafood selection tips, do you have any other supermarket deli recommendations?
