Daimús Paella Contest (XXIII Concurso de Paellas)

Each summer the little Costa de Valencia town of Daimús hands its streets over to amateur cooks, and the result is part competition, part neighbourhood lunch. Teams set up over open fires, big flat pans balanced on the flames, and get to work on their version of a proper Valencian paella while the smoke and the smell of sofrito drift everywhere.

It's a hands-on thing rather than a spectator sport. You buy a pan ticket at the town hall in advance, which runs to around twenty euros and covers the ingredients for roughly ten people, so it suits a group who fancy cooking together rather than just watching. Locals take the rice seriously and the rivalry is friendly. Turn up, grab a spot, and you'll quickly find someone happy to tell you exactly what you're doing wrong with your stock.